Back to You
by Ella Kelly
Summary: Post Ep100. Ratings upgraded for minor smut. Instead of telling him it wouldn't work right after he told her he loved her, he and Bones shared one night of passion before she got scared. Two years later, Booth is ordered back to DC to confront his past.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first fanfic in a while, so please be patient with me. Read summary for details. Also, for the sake of the story and because I couldn't find a definite age listing, we're going to say that Parker Booth is 8. All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all other belong to me :)

Chapter 1: Skeletons in the Closet

Bones haunted the dreams of one Special Agent Seeley Booth. Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan to be exact. Images of her had plagued his dreams for the better part of seven years, but the past two had been the worst. He tossed and turned in his coach seat as the Boeing 747 sped ever closer to the home he had left behind two years ago.

"_I'm the gambler. I believe in giving this a chance." He moved closer to her. "Look, I wanna give this a shot."_

_She looked at him, her big blue eyes wide with shock. "You mean us?" He nodded. "No. The FBI won't let us work together as a couple-"_

_He growled in helpless frustration. "Don't do that. That is no reason why we can't..." He cut himself off and kissed her. The same heat he had felt in their previous two kisses surged through him, growing exponentially the longer he felt her soft lips under his. _

_She kissed him back for a few tantalizingly brief moments and then placed her hands on his chest and pushes him away. " No. No."_

"_Why? Why?" The joy he had felt in the kiss quickly faded into confusion._

"_You-you thought you were protecting me, but you're the one who needs protecting." She looked panicked and even more confused than he felt. He wasn't used to seeing Bones this emotional._

"_Protecting from what?" Protection had always been part of his job description when it came to their relationship. He had almost failed her before, but he always came through in the end._

"_From me! I –" She started to break down, painful sobs catching at her voice.  
I don't have your kind of open heart."_

_Deep down, he knew she was wrong. " Just give it a chance... that's all I'm asking…"_

_She frantically shook her head, those silky strands he loved so much brushing her face furiously.__"No, you said it yourself; the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome."_

_He really hated when she through his words back at him. "Well, then let's go for a different outcome here, alright? Let's just - hear me out, alright? You know when you talk to older couples who, you know, have been in love for 30 or 40 or 50 years, alright, it's always the guy who says 'I knew.' I knew. Right from the beginning." He had felt the connection between them from the second they met in that lecture hall. The more he knew about her, her quirks, her fears, her pain, he knew she was The One. _

_She gave him an adorably Squint-ish look through her panic. "Your evidence is anecdotal."_

_He pinned her with the look he always gave her when he was trying to get her to see passed the science and look at the humanity of a situation. " I'm that guy. Bones, I'm that guy. I know."_

_And she believed him. For 8 glorious hours, Temperance Brennan forgot to think and remembered how to feel. And boy had they felt. A lot. All of each other. In just about every way possible. But in the morning, when he woke up expecting her to be curled up next to him like he always dreamed she would be, she was sitting on the corner of the bed, fully dressed. Her face was pinched in a frown that spoke of regret and confusion. _

"_Bones? Baby, what's-"_

_She cut him off. "I- I am not a gambler; I'm a scientist. I can't change. I don't know how. I don't know how." And with that, she broke Booth's - and her own – heart. "Please don't look so sad."_

"_Alright. Okay. You're right. You're right."_

"_Can we still work together?" She reached for his hand, like a child reaching out for a parent's reassurance._

_He had two choices. He could get angry and vent all of the frustration he was feeling and lose her. Or he could swallow his pain and keep her in his life. "Yeah."_

_She gave him a sad, grateful smile. "Thank you."_

_He felt his face shift into the remote expression he reserved for difficult situations. "But I gotta move on."_

He had tried to move on. He really had. For three months he had tried. But it hurt too much to see her, to know what it felt like to be with her and not be able to do anything about it. A thousand times, he had caught himself before he brushed a kiss across her forehead or her lips or ran his fingers through her hair. It was torture to be so close to her and not to be with her now that he had his dream, even if it was just for a few hours.

When the order had come from Hacker that he was being sent out as a floating consultant agent, he hadn't fought it. It meant leaving his son and his brother and his grandfather, but it also meant a chance for peace. A chance to get over the bewitching Dr. Brennan. So he had packed his bags, sublet his apartment, and left D.C.

He had met Pops and Parker for holidays in whatever city he was in and he occasionally talked to Cam, but he had cut all other ties with his old life. Until last week, when Hacker's replacement had informed him that he was being reassigned to head the team of agents working in tandem with the Jeffersonian. He would be the primary liaison between Dr. Saroyan's team and the FBI. He had argued until he was blue in the face, trying to get his boss to change his mind, but it hadn't worked.

He was going home. Wasn't that just a kick in the pants?

A/N2: Please review! :) Working on Chapter 2 right now.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This is my first fanfic in a while, so please be patient with me. Read summary for details. Also, for the sake of the story and because I couldn't find a definite age listing, we're going to say that Parker Booth is 8. All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all other belong to me :)

Chapter 2: Psychologist in the Wound

"Sweets, do we really have to do this?"

Lance Sweets sat in the same chair he had been sitting in when Booth told him he was leaving. He looked a little older, but not much. He just grinned his psychologist grin at Booth's whining.

"Agent Booth, you know that I have to access whether or not you're ready to be put back in your previous situation given your feelings for Dr. Brennan. This will be much easier for both of us if you cooperate." His voice was the same moderately patronizing voice that alternately made Booth cringe and chuckle, depending on the day. Today it made him cringe.

"What feelings for Dr. Brennan? That was _two years ago_, Sweets. I don't have any feelings for Dr. Brennan. She is a colleague and nothing more. I'm just here to do my job. Got it?" He fixed Sweets with his most menacing glare.

The glare didn't phase Sweets. He just continued to have a stare-off with Booth. "I just want you to be aware that things have changed over at the Jeffersonian. You can't expect to find everything exactly as you left it. Re-acclimating could prove to be more difficult than I think you know."

"Whatever. I'm not there to make friends, Sweets. I'm there to do a job. It won't be that hard to get the information I need from the Squint Squad and get out." Even as Booth said the words, he knew he was lying. There was nothing professional about the turmoil that still roiled through him every time he thought of Bones. But he had always followed orders. First as a sniper, then as an agent he had done what he was told as much as his conscience would allow and he rarely complained. He was an adult and he could act professionally when he had to. It would just take a bit of effort.

#

Dr. Temperance Brennan sat at her chaotically organized desk. Over the past few years, reminders of her life outside of the lab had slowly begun to infiltrate the room. Pictures of her dad, her brother and his family, and her friends were positioned around the desk and the flanking bookshelves.

Other signs of her real life could be seen in the office. Two rag dolls sat in one corner of her couch. A brightly colored quilt occupied one corner of the room. A child-sized mattress occupied one side of the quilt. A diaper bag hung on the coat rack next to her purse.

The owner of these items was currently jabbering away to the two dolls. Brennan couldn't help but sit and smile at the little girl playing on the other side of her office. Lillian Christine Brennan was the light of her life. She grounded her in reality, made her connect to her emotions when no one else could. There were times when she would just sit and stare at her little girl, marveling at how much she loved her.

Lillian, or Lily, as every one called her was a miniature of her mother. Her delicate bones were covered by perfect porcelain-like skin. Her silky baby hair was beginning to form loose curls like her mother's. The only things she hadn't inherited from her mother were her smile and her temperament. At 18 months old, she was a sunshiny little creature; the type of child who knew everyone in her life adored her. Angela and Hodgins relished the role of doting auntie and uncle. And Grampa Max was firmly wrapped around her tiny fingers.

When she first found out she was pregnant, Temperance had been convinced that she would be a structured, but loving mother who didn't allow herself to be changed by her child. But she had been. All of the books she read over the course of her pregnancy, all of the websites she'd researched didn't matter. All that mattered was the little person who was the center of her world.

"Doll!" Lily said proudly. Although she could walk (and run) everywhere, Lily's vocabulary was limited to a handful of words; "Doll" was one. "Mama" and "Gampa" were the other favorites. "No" was slowly creeping up the list. When she wanted to be, Lily could be just as stubborn as her mother, much to her grandfather's amusement.

"Yes, baby. Those are your dolls. Are you having fun with them?"

"Yesss!" Lily clapped her hands to demonstrate her joy. "Mama pay?"

"No, Mama can't play right now, sweetheart. She has to work. I'll play with you later, ok?"

"Kay!" Unfazed, Lily went back to her game. A few minutes later, Cam entered the office, followed by Max.

"Gampa!" Lily cried, dashing across the room on a collision course with her grandpa's knees. Before she crashed, Max swooped her up in a storm of delighted giggles. "Hi-hi!"

"Hi-hi, Lily-girl." Max kissed her cheek soundly before smiling at her daughter. "Hi, Tempe. You want me to take Lily home so you can finish up here? My classes are done for the day."

Brennan sent her dad a grateful smile. "Thanks, Dad, that would be great. I should only be another hour or so."

After Max gathered up the diaper bag and the toys that were required to travel back and forth wherever Lily went, he left with Lily toddling along beside him.

"She's really too cute for her own good, isn't she?" Cam commented, sitting down in one of the chairs opposite Brennan.

Temperance sighed. "You have no idea. Especially when it comes to Dad." She mentally changed gear from adoring mother to serious scientist. "Did you need something, Cam?"

Her friend sent her a worried, guarded look. "I just got a call from Agent Dale, the man who replaced Hacker last year. He wants to renew our relationship with the FBI."

"That should not be a problem. I wouldn't be as available for cases as I was previously, but I'm confident that Dr. Bray can handle any cases that I can't." The thought of working with another FBI agent sent many confusing emotions swirling through Brennan. She missed Booth every day, but she had managed to continue on. She had been left before and she was sure it would happen again. "Did he say who we would be working with?"

"He's organizing a small team that will be working with us," Cam started carefully. "But the primary agent we would be dealing with would be…I'm sorry, Temperance, but Booth has been assigned to work with us again."

Brennan took a shuddery breath, trying to maintain control of her emotions. Booth would be here. Booth would be here with her and with Lily. She didn't need to be a world-renowned anthropologist to know that this would no end well.

"When will he be here?" she asked quietly.

Cam gave her a sympathetic smile. "Any minute."

Temperance nodded, taking deep breaths. She could only hope her dad was gone by the time Booth showed up. She wasn't ready to explain Lily to him. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

A/N: Dun Dun Dun!!! Review and I'll post more :)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all other belong to me :)

Chapter 3: Toddler in the Forensics Lab

Booth ambled through the doors of the Forensics Lab of the Jeffersonian, trying to hide his tense shoulders and the uneasy apprehension that had him on edge since he stepped on the plane to return home. Everything _looked _the same. All of the squints in their little blue lab coats bustled about on and around the platform; busily squinting at whatever ancient garbage they were studying. It felt familiar and comfortable.

What wasn't familiar was the tinkling giggle of a child that broke the quiet buzz of the lab. Booth was shocked to see a little pink-clad bundle dashing across the open floor to the sliding doors. With the instincts born of 8 years of fatherhood, Booth snatched up the little girl, who continued to giggle as if she was in on the funniest joke in the world.

"Hi-hi!" she chirped cheerful, totally unafraid of him, even though he was a stranger.

"Hello. Who are you?" Her big blue eyes and her charming baby grin instantly enchanted Booth. It had been so long since he held a child. It felt good to feel the weight of her little body against his chest. Her fly away curls and her rosebud mouth reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite place who.

"Lily! Lily, where did you-" Bones recognized Max Keenan's voice before he saw the man. "Oh. Agent Booth. I didn't realize you were back."

"Max." Booth nodded. "This one of Russ's kids? She's a real cutie."

Max shifted uncomfortably back and forth. "Um, no, no, she's not. She's…She's Tempe's little girl."

"Bo- Dr. Brennan has a kid?" Booth was a little staggered by both the knowledge and by the little girl he held in his arms. He stared at her in awe. This wasn't just any little girl. She was Bones's little girl. She couldn't be much more than a year old. And just like her mother, he couldn't help but find her absolutely adorable. "She's a mom?"

"Yep. And she does it all on her own. Well, I help out when I can. So do Angela and Cam and Hodgins, but Tempe does it all. Refuses to get a nanny too. Some days I think she's a little crazy, but I'm damn proud of her. Reminds me of her mom, the way she looks after that little one."

"Does she have- is she married?" Booth braced himself, dreading the answer. Surely Sweets or Cam would have told him if Bones had gotten married. Then again, they hadn't told him about Lily either.

Max sent him a comforting, almost pitying look. "Nope. No husband. No father for Lily either. Tempe's too darn independent for that." Max shook his head sadly. "Well, I need to get the little one home. We've got a play date with a couple of dolls, don't we, sugar pie?"

"Dolls!" she squealed happily, stretching her arms out to her grandfather. "Pay dolls!"

Booth reluctantly relinquished the little girl to Max, running a fond hand over her downy hair.

"Tempe and Cam are in Tempe's office, last I checked," Max informed him. "Say bye-bye to Agent Booth, Lily-girl."

"Bye-bye!" the little girl caroled, flashing Booth a heart-stopping grin.

"Bye-bye, Lily." He chuckled and waved at Bones's daughter, who flapped her little hand and smiled at him over her grandpa's shoulder until they were out of sight.

"Agent Booth!" Hodgins's voice jolted him out of his Lily-induced stupor. "Hey, Ange, look what the cat dragged in."

The entomologist sauntered down the platform stairs, a welcoming grin on his face. The forensic artist stood at the top of the stairs, sending Booth a cool, calculating look that he recognized. That look meant that he had done something to piss her off and it would be a while before he got back on her good list. He accepted Hodgins's handshake and clap on the back with a tight smile.

"Hodgins." He nodded to Angela. "Angela. Long time no see."

Angela crossed her arms, all attitude. "Two years is a long time. What are you doing here?"

Booth frowned at her. "Didn't Cam tell you? I've been reassigned to my old job. You're stuck with me for a while. Is that gonna be a problem?"

"If Bren's fine with it, so are the rest of us."

"Lay off, Ange. The man just got back." Hodgins sent his wife a warning look.

Booth looked back and forth between the two of them, confused by the tension that palpated through the air. "I'll… just go check in with Dr. Brennan and Cam."

Booth walked the once familiar path to Bones's spacious office. He paused just outside, taking a fortifying breath. The office was the same, but different. Scattered toys and pictures brought life to the once pristine room. They had shared so many moments in that office. Just ordinary moments, really. But they were moments that had played over and over in his head every night in lonely hotel rooms since he had left her two years ago.

It was time to face the music. He rapped his knuckles against the glass door and pulled it open. The sight of her stole his breath, just like it always had. Her brown curls, so similar to Lily's, were pulled away from her face. You wouldn't know from her fitted blazer and no-nonsense blouse that she was the mother of a toddler. She still looked like the overly analytical squint that had been his closest friend for five years.

"Dr. Brennan. Cam." He nodded to each woman in turn. "I was told to stop by and touch bases with you to see if there are any new protocols or security measures I need to be aware of before our first case. Met your daughter on the way in, Dr. Brennan. Cute kid."

Bones and Cam just stared at him for a minute, neither of them speaking.

#

He was here. In her office. In the flesh. All well-proportioned shoulders and firm jaw-line and way too compelling eyes. Brennan knew that it was a physical impossibility, but she understood what people said when their hearts skipped a beat. And he had met her daughter.

"Hello, Seeley. Welcome back," Cam said smoothly, filling in the gap caused by Brennan's silence. "There's nothing new you really need to know about."

"Yes, there is," Brennan blurted out, reverting back to her didactic, overly rational tone, a tone Cam hadn't heard her use since Lily was born. "If you get a case after hours, call Dr. Bray. It is difficult for me to leave Lily without notice. So, unless it is a dire emergency, I can't go out in the field after six and before eight."

"Dr. Bray?" Booth couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Bones he knew would never give up a chance to go out in the field or trust someone else to do her work. This was one of the changes Sweets had warned him about, but he couldn't help the pang of regret that they couldn't magically return to their previous partnership. He quickly squelched that feeling. "Ok. I'll be sure to do that. Anything else?"

Brennan and Cam exchanged those looks that women did, silently communicating something he couldn't even begin to decipher. "No," Cam said. "I'll e-mail you a contact list for the department when I get back to my office. We're…looking forward to our first case with you and your team."

Brennan couldn't help but be a little hurt by his brisk manner. He was the one who ran away, not her. He left and forgot them and now he was being the emotionally distant one. She hated that.

"Well, I'll…leave you two to get…caught up," Cam said, making a hasty exit.

Brennan couldn't believe her boss was abandoning her in this awkward situation. She didn't know what to say to him. He claimed to love her and then three months later, he left her, just like everyone else. He used to be the one person he could depend on. Her best friend- maybe more than that. Now, she couldn't trust him, but she had to work with him.

Booth looked furtively at the door. He looked like Parker, trying to escape a lecture. She didn't feel any pity. "So, you met Lily?"

The mention of her daughter's name brought a small smile to Booth's previously stony features. "Yeah, I did. She's pretty adorable. She ran right up to me and let me pick her up. No fear, just like you."

Brennan felt what other people might call a tug at her heartstrings. "She's always been like that. Ready to welcome the world with open arms. She's too young to distrust anyone yet. I love that about her."

"Motherhood…" Booth cleared his throat. "Motherhood looks good on you, Temperance."

Brennan forced a smile. "Thank you, Booth."

"Well, I need to get back and start unpacking my office. I'll let you know when we have a case."

"Alright." Brennan kept her spine straight and firm until he was out of sight, then she melted, collapsing on her desk, cradling her hands in her head. This new partnership was not going to be easy.

A/N: Review! I doubt I'll get three chapters out tomorrow, but I'll shoot for at least two if I get a lot of reviews. :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all other belong to me :)

Chapter 4: Best Friend in the Offices

"Bren? Sweetie, are you ok?" Angela's voice dragged Brennan out of her momentary pity party.

She took a deep breath and nodded uncertainly. "Yes, I think so. I just…wasn't expecting to see him today. It was more difficult than I had calculated it would be."

"Well, he hurt you, Bren. He just dropped off the face of the Earth for two years and then comes waltzing back in here like nothing has changed." Angela began to pace in her agitation, trying not to rant.

"Ange, you know that's not entirely true. For one thing, it is physically impossible to drop off the face of the Earth. And for another, I hurt him first. I was the one too scared to try and make things work."

Angela collapsed into one of the chairs and shook her head at her friend. "Bren, sweetie, I love you, but you come with a lot of baggage. Booth knew that. I just hate that, just as you get to a good place, he has to show up and upset the apple cart."

"I will be fine, Angela. If he can be professional, then so can I," Brennan said staunchly. "I will just pretend like everything is as it used to be before…when we first started out as partners."

Angela let out an incredulous laugh. "Bren, I know you want to believe that you can do that, but things aren't like they used to be. There's a lot of history, a lot of hurt feelings between you now. Besides, you've got Lily to think about. Are you going to tell him?"

"No." Brennan took another steadying breath, then let her shoulders sag in defeat. "I don't know, Ange. I don't…I don't trust him right now. How can I share a child with him when I don't trust him?"

"Sweetie, as much as I hate what he's done to you, Booth has always been an amazing father. Parker adores him. And from what I saw earlier, Lily already does too. The longer you wait to tell him, the worse it'll be." Angela sighed. "It's already going to be a huge bomb to drop on him. I would recommend being in an empty room with nothing for him to throw or break, because he's going to be pissed."

"I don't want to let him close to Lily until I'm sure he's staying. I know what it feels like to be abandoned by my father. I will not let that happen to my daughter. Never." A fierce, almost wild look came into Brennan's eyes that warned Angela to let the subject drop.

"All I'm saying is be careful, Bren. This is going to be hard for everyone, not just you and Lily."

#

Booth had just finished opening a box of pictures in his office when someone knocked on the door. "It's open!" he called, not bothering to look up to see who entered as he picked up the first picture frame, one that showed Parker's little face smiling up at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Angela Montenegro's voice was accusatory and hostile. He didn't turn around to meet her glare. He felt it on his back.

"Well, right now I'm unpacking my office. Later, I'm going to go home and start unpacking my apartment," Booth replied nonchalantly.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. You just disappeared for two freakin' years! No calls! No e-mails! Not even a carrier pigeon to the woman who was supposed to be your best friend, who you claimed to love. And then you have the nerve to show up as if nothing happened!" Any other time, Booth would have smirked at Angela's emphatic use of her hands as she ranted at him, but now he just turned around and glared back at her.

"She rejected me, Angela, not vice versa. And I had to leave. I was given a new assignment. I didn't have much of a choice. Yeah, I could have written, but what good would that have done? At the end of the day, she still didn't want me, and no amount of phone calls or emails could change that. It was easier to just cut all ties and start over." Booth's voice sounded harsh to his own ears. Barely tethered rage coursed through his veins. How dare she blame him? He just wanted to get on with his life. He wanted to do his job, spend time with his son, drink a few beers with his brother and, most importantly, get over Bones.

"She didn't reject you, Booth. She tried to protect you. You and I both know Brennan has a lot of issues when it comes to love and trust. She was trying to get over them for you. But you left. Just like all of the other men in her life."

That stung, but Booth refused to give in. "Is there a point to this? I have a lot that needs to get done."

"Yeah, there is." Angela squared off with him. "Don't you dare hurt her again. She has come too far. She was finally in a good spot until you showed up. She's got Lily and Max and all of us at the lab and she was finally beginning to be normal again. Don't even think about screwing that up for her. If I can't beat you up, I have a father who isn't afraid to leave you alone in the middle of the desert. Ask Hodgins."

With that, Angela stormed out of his office as abruptly as she had stormed in. He had no intention of making Bones unhappy. He just wanted to do his job. What the hell was wrong with that?


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all other belong to me :)

Chapter 6: Children in the Park

Saturday morning, Booth picked Parker up for the weekend. Gone was the little boy he had left. In his place was this new child, still the same on the inside, but growing and changing on the outside. He had lost some of his little boy chubbiness and he was quickly taking on the lean, muscular build of his father and uncle. Rebecca still kept his hair long and in his eyes. When Parker saw his dad for the first time in five months, his eyes lit up and the sweet little boy smile stretched across his face.

"Dad! You're here! You're here! You're really here!" Parker crowed, barreling out of the door and into his father's arms.

Happiness welled up inside Booth for the first time in a long while. He scooped his son up in a tight hug, pressing his face into Parker's hair, enjoying the peanut butter and grass smell that was all boy. "Hey, buddy. Of course I'm here."

"And you aren't going away again?" Worry clouded Parker's eyes.

Booth smiled at his son. "Nope. I'm here to stay. Are you ready to go?"

Parker nodded fervently. After saying hello to Rebecca, Booth loaded Parker up.

"Where do you want to go, buddy? Your pick."

Parker's eyes lit up. "The park! I wanna go and ride the merry-go-round like we used to."

Booth chuckled at his son's enthusiasm. "Ok, the park it is. I guess you're gonna want ice cream too, huh?"

"Yup!" All the way to the park, Parker chattered. He told his dad all about his coach-pitch baseball team and his favorite class at school (science). He complained that his mom wouldn't let him get a dog. Booth just sat back and enjoyed getting reacquainted with his son's life. Two years was a long time in the life of a child. Seeing him on Christmas and Easter just wasn't the same as seeing him on a weekly basis. It was good to be home.

As soon as they got to the park, Parker made a beeline for the merry-go-round. They were waiting in line when a big grin spread across Parker's face. "Dad, look! It's Dr. Bones!"

Sure enough, there was Bones, pushing Lily in a stroller. Looking at her, you wouldn't know that she was a world-renowned forensic anthropologist. She was wearing well-worn dark jeans and a simple t-shirt. Her hair was pulled through a baseball cap that shielded her fair skin. Lily was once again giggling with delight; her dark curls hidden by a cute little sun hat. Not waiting for his father to respond, Parker dashed off towards the pair.

"Dr. Bones!" Parker cried, throwing his arms around Bones's slender waist. "Did my dad invite you to play with us today? Is this your little girl?"

Bones laughed in surprise. "Hi, Parker! No, your father didn't invite me. I try and bring Lily here every weekend that it's nice. Parker, this is my daughter Lily. Lily, can you say hi to Parker?"

"Hi, Lily," Parker said, a little shyly.

Lily beamed up at the boy. "Hi-hi!"

A little stunned by the encounter, Booth cautiously made his way over to the trio. Rather than immediately facing Bones, Booth squatted down in front of the stroller so that he was eye-level with Lily. "Good morning, Miss Lily. Don't you look pretty this morning. Are you here to play on the merry-go-round too?"

Lily nodded enthusiastically. "Me pay!"

"Lily loves the merry-go-round," Bones said, smiling down at her little girl.

"Dad, can I ride with Dr. Bones and Lily?" Parker jumped up and down, impatient for an answer. Part of Booth was a little disappointed that his son was so willing to abandon him, but he was relieved that he wouldn't have to go on the spinning contraption. He preferred to stand in one place.

"Sure, buddy. If Dr. Brennan doesn't mind?" Booth glanced at Bones.

She was too busy smiling down at his little boy. "I don't mind at all."

Leaving Parker to chatter to Bones and Lily, Booth settled himself on one of the nearby benches. The three of them looked like a little family. The thought was a swift punch in the gut.

If he had gone along with Bones's plans for AI, they could have been a real family. If he hadn't had that stupid brain tumor, he could have been the father of Bones's child and they could all be one happy family. He knew Parker would get a kick out of having a little brother or sister like Lily to play with and spoil. And he would give anything to have a child that he got to see more than every other weekend, especially a sweet little girl like Lily.

But life happened and here they were. Bones with her daughter and him with his son. At the park on a beautiful spring afternoon. Just two colleagues who ran into each other.

#

Being at the park with Parker and Booth was a bit surreal for Brennan. A tight knot settled into her chest as she watched Booth greet her daughter. That knot tightened even more as she watched Parker interact with Lily. Part of her just wanted to tell the little boy: this is your little sister.

Even if she didn't trust Booth, she knew Parker would be a fantastic big brother. She could just see him being like Russ when they were growing up; checking up on his little sister through out the day to make sure she was all right, protecting her from would-be bullies. But she knew she couldn't tell Parker until she told Booth. It was too big of a secret to ask a little boy to keep.

"Dr. Bones? Can Lily ride in front of me on my horse? I promise to hold on real tight so she doesn't fall," Parker said with as much solemnity as a boy his age could muster.

Bones pretended to consider the idea for a moment. "I guess that would be alright," she said. "As long as you don't mind me standing next to you, just in case."

"Ok!" Parker said, grinning. Parker hurried ahead to pick a horse and climb up. He scooted back to make room for Lily. The little girl was glowing with excitement at the prospect of riding a horsy with her new friend. After the two of them were safely settled, Brennan dug through her purse for the small digital camera she kept there. It was a very mommy thing to do, but she still liked to have it around for moments like this.

"Smile!" she said. The two children flashed matching grins at her and she snapped the picture. As the ride started, she leaned against the horse, enjoying Parker's commentary. Idly she thought of the picture and how it might be a good peace offering for Booth when she finally decided to tell him the truth about her daughter.

A/N: Some of you are a little confused on the timeline of things, but all of that will be explained to you when it is explained to Booth :) Thanks for all of the reviews! Keep 'em coming!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 7

Over the course of the next three weeks, there were thankfully only two cases that required assistance from the squints at the Jeffersonian. Every time Booth went in, one of the squints, mainly Bones or Angela, would be in their office with Lily fenced in a portable play-pen so she couldn't get into too much trouble.

Booth hated to admit it, given whom her mother was, but the little girl had stolen his heart. Each time he saw her, she always had a big grin for him and a cheerful "hi-hi!" He made a point of always stopping to pick her up and talk to her for a few minutes before dealing with the squints. It put him in a better mood and usually made them less wary of him.

Every now and then, he would catch a little mannerism of Lily's here and there that reminded him of Parker when he was a baby; a certain way she smiled or the way she tilted her head when she was thinking or a twinkle that came in her eye right before she was going to cause some sort of mischief like throwing a toy at the back of Wendell's head. At first, he shook it off as coincidence. But the more often it happened, the more a thought nagged at his mind. He had never thought to ask Lily's exact age. He assumed she was only a year or so old, but maybe…It could be possible that she was his. He always pushed the thought aside as soon as it occurred. Bones would have called and told him if she had his baby. Wouldn't she?

#

The more Brennan saw Booth, the easier it got. Things hadn't returned to the comfort level they had been at before Booth's big confession, but they had found a routine sort of rhythm that suited them both. She worked primarily in the lab, identifying bone abnormalities that helped solve the cases quickly and efficiently. While she did that, he followed his gut and found suspects and victims. It wasn't the same, but it worked.

Her heart always swelled when she saw Booth perform his ritual with Lily. He entered the lab and made a beeline for wherever the little girl was. He'd always had such a natural connection with young children. At one time, she might have laughed it off, joking that it was because he was a child himself, but not anymore. Seeing him with Lily, seeing how much he strived for consistency in his behavior towards her, despite any work that might need to be accomplished, was slowly winning her over.

Over the past two years, she had forgotten this side of Booth. In the cloud of hurt that had followed his unexpected departure, she blocked out all of his good qualities. His loyalty, his integrity. But most of all his capacity for love. He used to say that he was a heart man; and now she remembered that part of him. She still didn't trust him with _her_ feelings, but she knew that he wouldn't hurt Lily. Seeley Booth was one of the men who would rather go through a hundred years of torture than see one of his children hurt.

The challenge came in telling him. She knew that whatever rapport they had established would be ruined once she told him. In giving her daughter the chance to know her father, she would lose any friendship that had existed between them. Watching Booth tickle Lily, Brennan sighed. It had to be done. But not here. Not now.

"Booth?" she said tentatively.

Booth glanced up from Lily, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah?"

"Do you think you could come over for dinner tomorrow evening? There are some…things I need to discuss with you outside of the office."

Booth looked surprised and a bit suspicious of this request. "Um, sure, I guess." He shrugged. "Do you want me to grab some take-out?"

"Yes, that would be nice. Could you be there around 7?" Brennan knew she sounded stilted and formal, but it was her fallback mode.

"Unless something with work comes up, I'll be there. Any preferences for food?" Booth looked away from Brennan as Lily lifted her favorite doll up for him to see.

Brennan shook her head. "Whatever you feel like is fine."

"Then I'll see you at 7." Standing up from the couch, Booth gently set Lily back in her playpen. "I'll see you then. I need to go see Cam about some autopsy details."

As soon as he was out of the office, Brennan picked up her phone. She knew that it would not be a good idea to have Lily in the house when she broke the news to Booth. Her dad had a standing poker night every Saturday and she knew from an early conversation that Cam had a date and Angela was planning a special night in with Hodgins. That left her one back-up babysitter.

"Jared? It's Tempe. Could you and Padme watch Lily for me tomorrow night?"

Jared's voice sounded surprised, but agreeable. "Sure, Tempe. We love watching our favorite niece. Do you need us to watch her at your place?"

"No. If you could maybe just take her out to dinner with you for a couple of hours, I would really appreciate it."

"No problem. You know I'll take any time with the munchkin I can get. What time do you need us to get her?"

"Around 6:30 would be great."

Jared chuckled. "Finally going on a hot date?" he teased.

Brennan sighed. "No. I'm…I'm going to tell him, Jared. I'm going to tell him about Lily tomorrow night."

"Seeley? Shit, Tempe. No wonder you want us to take Lily out." Jared whistled. "That is not going to be fun. Do you want me to be there with you when you tell him?"

Contrary to the Jared she had first met, Booth's brother had evolved into a very supportive friend since meeting Padme. When she told him about her pregnancy, he had stepped up and been there for her and Lily. And, against his better judgment, he had kept her secret. "That's very sweet of you, Jared, but I need to do this on my own. The best way you can help me is to keep Lily out of the house until I've told him and he's calmed down a bit."

"Good luck, Tempe. You're going to need it."

A/N: I know this was sort of a filler chapter, but I promise to get the next one up ASAP (which probably means tomorrow night because I'm going to my cousin's soccer games tomorrow.) Keep the reviews coming! and Thanks to all of the loyal reviewers/readers!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Here it is! The chapter you've all been waiting for. All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 7 Secret in the House

Booth was running late for dinner with Bones. He had been finishing paperwork at the office and had lost track of time. While he gathered up his stuff, he called the diner and placed their usual order. The waitress promised to have the food ready by the time he got there.

He impatiently made his way through traffic and pulled up in a thankfully free spot in front of the familiar retro building. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see his brother lounging in a chair at one of the tables by the window. He had talked to Jared once or twice since he moved back, but they hadn't had a chance to see each other yet.

"Well, if it isn't my baby brother," he said, sauntering over.

A look of almost horrified surprise came over Jared's usually relaxed face. "Seeley? What…What are you doing here?"

"I stopped by to pick up some food for me and Brennan. Is that anyway to greet your brother?"

Jared chuckled nervously and got up to give his brother a brief hug. "It's good to see you, Seeley. Just didn't expect to see you here."

"Are you here alone? Is Padme with you?"

"Yeah, she just went to the bathroom right before you got here." Jared looked over his shoulder. "But you don't want to keep Tempe waiting. Why don't you give me a call tomorrow and we'll set up a night for you to come over to our place for dinner?"

Booth got the distinct impression that his little brother was hiding something from him, but he didn't press him. "Yeah, you're right."

Booth glanced over to the counter where the waitress already had his order waiting. He dug out the money from his wallet and tossed it on the counter. He was just about to grab the food off the counter when he heard a very familiar little giggle. Lily came dashing out of the bathroom at the back of the diner, Padme chasing after her.

When she saw Booth, she quickly switched course, running straight at his knees like she always did. "Hi-hi! Hi-hi!" she crowed. Out of habit, Booth bent down and scooped her up mid-run.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her, eyeing his brother suspiciously.

"Pay Unk Jay!" she declared, pointing at Jared.

"Unk Jay?" The only person he had ever heard her address by name besides Bones was Max. That meant that Jared was more than just a family friend, like Cam or Angela. Lily knew him well and loved him enough to learn his name. "Uncle?" He leveled a glare at his little brother. "What the hell is going on here, Jared?" He forced himself to keep his tone pleasant so as not to upset Lily, but inside he was beginning to connect the dots. And the more dots he connected, the more furious he got.

Jared looked like a wild dog had cornered him. He sighed in defeat. "I can't tell you that, Seeley. Just…go talk to Tempe. She's waiting to explain everything to you at her house."

Still glaring at his brother, Booth gave him a curt nod. "Fine." After giving Lily a brief kiss on the forehead, he handed her over to his brother.

His brother stopped him at the door after he grabbed his food. "Hey, Seeley?"

"What?" he snapped.

"Go easy on her. She did the best she could and this is all really hard for her."

Snorting in disbelief, Booth stalked out of the restaurant and back to his car.

#

Brennan nervously paced around the living room of her townhouse. She had bought it as soon as she knew she was having Lily. Rather than going for her previously sleek décor, the house was light, airy and comfortable. Ordinarily, she found the warm colors soothing, but tonight nothing could calm her down. She looked at the picture she had just sat on the mantle. Parker and Lily looked like they were: brother and sister. Looking at their smiling little faces calmed her down a bit. Ever since Jared had picked Lily up, Brennan had been on the verge of a panic attack. The only things keeping her grounded were that picture and the knowledge that Booth would be there any moment.

Her phone buzzed on the coffee table. "JARED" flashed on the screen. Worried that something was wrong with Lily, Brennan snatched up the phone. "Hello?"

"Tempe, I am so sorry. He just showed up and then Padme came back with Lily and Lily just ran up to him and there's nothing I could do about it!" Jared rushed to say.

"What? Slow down. Who showed up?"

"Seeley. He figured it out. He knows about Lily. He's on his way over right now. I haven't seen him this pissed in years. I thought I'd better warn you."

"Shit," she groaned. "Thanks, Jared. Is Lily ok?"

"Yeah, she's fine. Are you sure you don't want me to come over? Padme can stay with Lily."

Temperance was tempted to say yes, but she knew she had to deal with this on her own. Just then, she heard someone pounding on her door. "Oh, God, Jared he's here. I've got to go."

"Just tell him the truth, Tempe. He'll be mad for a while, but eventually he'll understand."

"Thanks, Jared. I'll see you in a little while."

Forcing herself to breathe, she walked to the door. The banging continued until she opened the heavy wood door. The look on Booth's face was one she had rarely seen before. It rivaled the fury that she saw the few times someone had injured her or threatened her. It was almost on the same level as the day that Epps had talked to Parker in the park.

She managed to hold on to her composure. "Hello, Booth. I'm glad you could make it. Would you like me to take the food?"

Booth angrily shoved the food into her outstretched hands. "You lied to me, Temperance. You lied to me."

Brennan rolled her eyes and made her way into the kitchen with the food. She had found that it was better to ignore temper tantrums rather than indulging them. "Would you like a beer or a glass of wine?"

Her placid demeanor threw him. "Sure, I'll have a goddamn beer. While I do that, you can tell me why you lied to me."

"I don't recall lying to you in recent memory. You know I'm a terrible liar. What exactly are you referring to?" She held out one of his favorite beers.

He snatched the beverage out of her hand. "You know damn well what I'm talking about, Temperance. You lied to me about Lily."

A fierce light sparked in Brennan's eyes. "I have never lied about Lily, Booth."

"Really? Then why didn't I know that she was my _daughter_?" Booth challenged, glaring at her.

"That wasn't a lie. The subject of Lily's parentage never came up, so I didn't feel obligated to tell you until I was ready." Temperance began to unpack the sacks of food from the dinner and put them on plates.

"Until you were _ready?_ Where do you get off, Dr. Brennan? Telling me I have another child has nothing to do with you being ready. I had a right to know about her as soon as you knew you were pregnant." Booth braced his hands against the kitchen bar, opposite Brennan, in a menacing pose that he saved for the more unsavory suspects.

Brennan raised an eyebrow. "If I understand correctly, informing the father about a baby's existence is usually left to the mother's discretion. By the time I found out I was pregnant, you had disappeared. I saw no need to force you to come back when you so obviously wanted to leave. I had already prepared myself to have a child without a father. I didn't see the point in altering my plans for a man who didn't care enough to even say good-bye to me. Quite honestly, I'm surprised, Booth. I thought you were a smart man. You never even bothered to ask how old Lily is."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Booth eyed her suspiciously, like he did when he knew she was about to come up with a piece of information on a case he wouldn't like.

"It's very simple math, Booth. You don't have to be a squint to know how to count and figure out a child's date of conception." In a tone of exaggerated patience, she said, "Lily is 18 months old, which means I had to be three months pregnant when you left. And the only man I had slept with in the six months prior to your departure was you. You know, for an FBI agent, you've been sadly negligent in your information gathering since your return." Brennan took the plates of food and forcefully set them down on the table. Booth sat across from her, his anger deflating a bit.

"Shit. You're right." He scrubbed his hands over his face and took a sip of his beer. "I'm an idiot." His expression hardened once more. "But that doesn't change the fact that I didn't know my daughter existed for the first 18 months of her life. I should have known from day one."

Her eyes got sad, the hurt that she had been fighting slipping through a little bit. "You were gone, Booth. You never called or e-mailed or showed any interest in contacting me. You were my best friend. You said that we could still be partners, that we could still be friends, and then you left. When you got back, I didn't know if I could trust you with Lily. I know what it's like to be abandoned by your father. I will not let that happen to my daughter."

"Damn it, Bones, you know I would never abandon my child. Ever. Even when I was gone, I talked to Parker every day and saw him every chance I got."

"I know that, Booth," Temperance said gently. "I was just so hurt that I forgot that part of you. But watching you with Lily reminded me that whatever other faults you might have, you are a terrific father." She got up and walked into the living room and came back with the picture she had framed for him. After placing it on the table in front of him, she returned to her seat, warily watching for his reaction.

"Wow," he murmured. "Those are my kids. My son." He touched Parker's face. "And my daughter. Jesus, I actually have a daughter." He leveled a glare at Brennan over the picture frame. "There is no way in hell I am letting you keep me away from my daughter. I'll fight you if I have to, Temperance. But I will not lose her now that I've found her."

A/N: Well? What do you think? Should Bones have been more upset? Should Booth have been more understanding? Have an opinion? Let me know! REVIEW! Oh, and Happy Early Mother's Day to all of the moms out there.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: So, this chapter took on a life of its own. All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 8: Baby in the House

"I would never try and keep Lily from you, Booth." Getting up, Brennan went and grabbed an envelope off of the bar. "I had these drawn up when you first got back to town."

Booth eyed her suspiciously as he opened the large manila envelope. Inside were very official looking legal papers. He tried to read through them, but he didn't have the focus to decipher all of the legal jargon. "What are these?"

"Those are papers that give you joint custody of Lily. I would prefer if you didn't take her for overnight visits until she knows you better and she's a little older, but any day you want to spend time with her, I won't stand in the way." Brennan watched him warily, waiting for his reaction. This, along with the picture, had been her arsenal of peace offerings. The more she allayed his anger, the easier things would be for everyone.

Booth was speechless. He definitely hadn't expected this. Then again, this was Bones. She always thought of everything. Still, he hadn't thought that she would give him joint custody so easily. "Why?" he finally asked.

"Why what?" Brennan's brows puckered in confusion.

"Why are you being so…rational about all of this? I hurt you ten times more than I hurt Rebecca, but your not making me fight you for access to my kid."

Brennan shrugged. "Perhaps Rebecca does not value the bond between parents and children the way I do. I want Lily to have the luxury of knowing that both of her parents love her. I also want her to know Parker. How will he feel about having a little sister?"

At the mention of his son, a small smile flashed across Booth's face. "Parker? He'll get a big kick out of it. He's always asked for a little brother or sister, but Rebecca doesn't want anymore kids and I've…well, never really been in a position to give him one until now."

"For both Parker's and Lily's sake, I want to try and make this as painless as possible. There are hurt feelings on both sides here, but we are both adults. I hope that we can try to keep things…mature and respectful." Brennan had slipped back into her "Dr. Brennan" voice, all detached and business-like. "Are you amenable to this?"

Booth shook his head sadly. "Yeah, I'm amenable. When is Jared bringing Lily back?"

"In half an hour or so, I expect. He sounded worried when he called to warn me that you had deduced that you were Lily's father, so I would guess that he's going to bring her back earlier than the agreed upon two hours."

"Do you mind if I wait until they get here? I'd like to see Lily." Now that he knew she was his daughter, he wanted to take every chance he had to see her, to hold her. It was still so surreal. He needed to feel her in his arms to really believe that she was his.

"Not at all. We can finish our food and, if you'd like, you can help me put Lily to bed," Temperance offered, sounding almost shy.

"Really?" The eagerness in Booth's voice made her smile. "I'd like that."

They ate in awkward silence for a few minutes, the only sounds coming from their silverware against the trendy square plates. Shifting uncomfortably, Brennan looked up from her face. "Do you have any questions about Lily?"

Booth hadn't had time to process that far, but now that she mentioned it, he did. He had a lot of questions about his little girl. Questions he should know the answer to, but didn't. Anger sizzled up again, but he fought it back. "God, there're so many. Um, I guess let's start with the most basic. When was she born?"

"December 25, 2010."

Booth's eyebrows shot up. "A Christmas baby? Wow. That must have been one hell of a holiday. Nice way to give you some good memories to replace the bad."

Brennan was surprised at his reference to her past. It was the first indication he'd given of their previous closeness. "Yes, it was. Dad was very amused. He said that there was no way I could ignore the holiday now."

"He's got a point." In spite of himself, Booth chuckled, then sobered. "Was it a difficult birth?"

Brennan shook her head. "No, it was actually surprisingly easy. She only weighed 3.2 kilograms and was 43.5 inches long."

Booth gave her a sardonic look. "And in American that would be?"

Brennan laughed softly. "Just over 7 lbs and 17 inches long. That's on the smaller side for a newborn, but she was perfectly healthy."

"When did she learn to walk? What was her first word?"

Brennan had to stop and think for a minute. "She started to try to walk at 10 months, but she wasn't walking completely on her own until right before her first birthday. She said her first word around the same time."

"What was it? Mama? Dog?"

Brennan blushed a little. "Bone," she muttered.

A grin spread across Booth's face. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Bone! Lily's first word was bone."

Booth burst out laughing. "Why am I not surprised?"

He saw Brennan's feathers getting a little ruffled. "It's a perfectly logical occurrence. She spends most of her time at the lab, where bones are a frequent part of the vocabulary. It is understandable that she would pick up on that and try to imitate the adults around her."

"I know, Brennan. I just think it's funny. Parker's first word was ball. I was lucky enough to be there when he said it. It was one of the few times I got to see him when he was little. I was so excited. Rebecca was really ticked off too, which was an added bonus."

As silence once again descended, Booth realized that he had forgotten to be mad at her for a moment. "I wish I could have been there for Lily's first word." There was an awkward pause. "Why did you name her Lily?"

Brennan finished chewing her food before responding. "Well, Jared told me that your mom's middle name was Lillian and Lily's were her favorite flower. I thought you would like that. So she's Lillian Christine to honor both of our mothers."

Booth's chest tightened with sentiment. He had forgotten his mom's middle name and her love for the delicate white flowers. "Thanks, Brennan. I appreciate that," he said quietly. "It's exactly the name I would have voted for if I'd had a choice."

Before either of them could say anything, there was a knock at the front door. "That'll be Jared and Padme," Brennan said, getting up to put her plate in the sink.

Booth stopped her. "You go. I'll take care of the dishes. I'm still too pissed to see Jared right now. Tell him I'll talk to him later."

Brennan frowned, but nodded. "Alright."

Booth heard the soft murmur of voices in the other room. His brother was probably checking to make sure he hadn't been a callous bastard and hurt Bones. It really ticked him off that everyone had known that Lily was his daughter, except him. On top of that, his brother and Cam had talked to him on the phone and never mentioned it. He understood Cam's loyalty, but Jared? That stung.

He didn't have chance to stew in his anger for very long because a familiar pink-clad figure came tottering into the kitchen, looking to see who was making noise since her mommy was still talking at the door. At the sight of Booth, her face lit up. "Hi-hi!" she cried, running around the counter, her arms stretched up to him.

The overwhelming feeling of love and protectiveness he felt when he saw Parker welled up inside of him at the sight of the little girl, his little girl. With a big grin, he scooped her up. "Hi yourself. Did you have fun with your aunt and uncle?"

She nodded, her chocolate curls bouncing up and down. "Eat and pay! Me lub unk Jay!"

"Uncle Jared's pretty cool, huh?" Booth said with a rueful smile. Lily nodded. A big yawn contorted her cute little face and she rubbed one big blue eye with her little fist. "Uh-oh, is someone sleepy?"

"It is a little past her usual bedtime and she didn't take much of a nap today," Brennan said, re-entering the kitchen. "I suspect she is quite tired."

"No seepy!" Lily insisted.

Booth chuckled. "How about we get your pjs on and then I'll read you a book?"

Lily's eyes brightened. "Book!"

Brennan smiled. "You said the magic word. She loves books."

"Of course she does. Her mother _is _a best-selling novelist after all." Lily rested her head against Booth's shoulder. "Which way to her room?"

Brennan led him over the baby gate, up the carpeted stairs to an open room. One wall was painted a cheerful yellow, one was a pretty sky blue, and a third was a happy pale pink shade. The fourth wall was painted with a gorgeous mural of a fairy tale countryside, filled with nursery rhyme and fairy tale characters frolicking across green fields. The pretty white crib was set against the mural, with a nursery rhyme mobile hanging over one side. A mountain of stuffed animals and soft dolls occupied the big bay window that dominated the blue wall. A white glider chair with fluffy cushions was placed beside the window. A large white bookshelf painted with matching characters to the mural and sat along the yellow wall. A toy box painted like the bookshelf stood next to it. The room was completely unexpected and a little girl's dream room.

"Wow. This is amazing. Angela's handy work?" Booth asked.

Brennan nodded. "As soon as she found out I was having a girl, she refused to let me have any say in the decorating. But I have to say she did a very nice job. She insisted on decorating the entire house before I moved in. As I was seven months pregnant with a very active baby, I was a bit too tired to argue."

"It's great. She's a very lucky little girl." Booth smiled at the sleepy child in his arms. "Which way to the pjs?"

Working together, Booth and Brennan had Lily ready for bed in a few short minutes. Booth settled into the chair with Lily while Bones selected a book from Lily's mini-library. She handed him a familiar book. "Goodnight Moon? This was Parker's favorite."

"Lily loves it too," Brennan said. "Right, Lily-girl?"

"Me lub books," Lily murmured. Brennan leaned against the doorframe, watching Booth read to their daughter. He was such a natural. He always had been. This man was meant to be a father. Even without knowing he was her father or even what a father was, Lily instinctively trusted him. The only people Lily would fall asleep for were Brennan or Max, so it was a surprise when she drifted off in Booth's arms.

After he was sure Lily was asleep, Booth gently carried the little girl over to her crib and gently laid her down. Brennan moved over and picked up a doll that was sitting on the diaper bag Jared and Padme had taken with them. "It's her favorite doll. Dad gave it to her for Christmas and she'll cry if she wakes up without it," Brennan explained.

Booth leaned down and kissed his daughter on the downy curls at her temple. "Goodnight, baby girl. I love you."

Brennan made sure the fluffy blanket was secured around Lily and then followed Booth out of the room.

"So, I guess I'll see you on Monday," Booth said awkwardly as they walked downstairs.

"Yes, I guess you will." Brennan shoved her hands into her jeans pockets.

"We'll make this work, won't we?" he asked, pausing with his hand on the doorknob.

"We will. And maybe someday you'll forgive me."

A/N: What do you think? Did I give away too much information? Should Booth still be hostile towards Brennan? Have an opinion? Please leave a comment and share it with me! :)


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! This is probably the most enthusiastic response I've had to a story yet. You guys are awesome! All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 9: Daddy in the Zoo

The next week passed quickly, if somewhat awkwardly, to Booth's way of thinking. He saw his daughter almost every day. He was surprised, but everyone now referred to him as "Daddy" when mentioning him to Lily.

"It will help with her word association and she will learn to call you 'Daddy' rather than 'Booth' as the rest of us do," Bones explained in her practical way. Booth really didn't care why they were doing it; he was just happy to get to be this little girl's daddy.

He still hadn't talked to his brother, who had called at least twice a day since Saturday. He didn't know what to say to his little brother, a first for him. Instead of dealing with his issues with the adults in his life, Booth focused on his kids.

He was taking Lily on their first official outing with Parker that weekend. It was going to be a little difficult to explain the advent of his daughter in his life, but he knew Parker would understand. His son was a very intelligent, thoughtful little boy, more so than he'd ever been. He knew his daughter would be just as intelligent and thoughtful.

"What are we doing today, Daddy?" Parker asked once he was settled in the backseat of Booth's SUV. Next to him was the pink car seat he had bought that morning for Lily.

"Well, first we're going to go pick up Lily," Booth said carefully.

"Dr. Bones's little girl? Are you babysitting her? Is that why you have a car seat?" Parker sounded excited at the prospect of seeing his little friend again.

Booth took a deep breath and shook his head. "Not exactly, buddy." He paused, trying to think of the best way to phrase this so that an 8 year old could understand. "Lily isn't just Dr. Bones's daughter. She's my little girl too."

Parker frowned in confusion. "You're Lily's daddy too? How come you never told me about her before?"

"Because I didn't know until last week." He searched for the words. "You know how you and your best friend Andy get into fights? And you don't tell him stuff because you're mad at him?"

"Yeah. I don't like to tell secrets to someone I'm mad at," Parker said solemnly.

Booth's shoulders sagged with relief; he'd found the right tact. "Neither does Dr. Bones. And when I left, she and I were in a big fight, so she didn't tell me that she was going to have my baby. It took her a little while after I got back to not be so mad at me anymore."

Parker nodded sagely. "Is Dr. Bones still mad at you, Dad?"

It was Booth's turn to frown. "Yeah, a little, buddy. But she's decided to let Lily hang out with us today. Is that alright with you?"

He saw Parker nod his head fervently in the rear view mirror. "Does this mean that Lily's my little sister?"

Well, technically half-sister, but Booth didn't want to go into that distinction. "Yeah, she is."

"Awesome!" Parker crowed. "I've always wanted a little sister. And Lily's really cool!"

Booth chuckled at his son. "She is extremely cool." Parker's grin faded into a frown. "What's wrong, bud?"

"Daddy, do you love Lily more than me?"

Booth's eyebrows shot up. He hadn't expected that question. "What? No, Parker. Why would you even think that?"

Parker squirmed in his seat a little. "'Cause you get to see her more than me and 'cause she's little and cute and everything."

"You know one of the coolest things about being a parent?" Parker shook his head. "You get to have this never-ending amount of love for your kids. You and Lily are both special to me in different ways, but I don't love you more and I don't love her more. Got it?"

"Got it." Parker's smile returned. They pulled up to Bones's house and Booth helped Parker out of the car. The little boy ran ahead, eagerly ringing the doorbell. Booth was surprised when Max opened the door.

"Hi, Mr. Max!" Parker greeted Bones's father with his usual enthusiasm, even though he hadn't seen the man in two years. "We're here to get Lily."

"Hi, Parker." Max smiled down at the boy. "You've grown a foot since I last saw you. Come on in. Lily's in the living room with her mom. I need to talk to your dad for a second."

Abandoning his father, Parker dashed into the house in search of his little sister. Booth shifted from side to side uncomfortably under Max Keenan's steady, expressionless gaze. "What's up, Max?"

Max's voice was the cool, calculated voice that reminded Booth that Bones's father had killed to protect his family. "You hurt my girls in anyway, nothing will stop me from kicking your ass. I get that you're mad at Tempe, and I can't say I totally blame you. But you leaving like that? That almost broke her. Don't even think about doing something like that again. Are we clear?"

Booth nodded. "Yeah, Max. We're clear…Can I go see my daughter now?"

Max stepped out of the doorway and followed him into the living room. Booth couldn't help but smile at the scene playing out. Parker was sitting in the middle of the floor playing patty cakes with Lily while Bones packed a few last minute items in the diaper bag. It all seemed so natural.

When Lily saw him, she immediately abandoned her game and held her arms out to him. "Hi, princess. Are you ready to play with Daddy and Parker?"

"Pay! Pay!" Lily cheered.

Bones smiled at her daughter and leaned up to give her a kiss on the cheek. "You be good for your daddy and your brother, Lily," she admonished. "I've put everything she needs in her bag. If she gets cranky, just give her the pink doll and she'll be fine. She can have soft foods, torn up in little bits. I put sippy cups of apple juice in the bag. If you have any other questions, just call me. I'll be here working on my book all day."

"We'll be fine, Bones. We've got it covered." Booth grinned at his little girl. "Say bye-bye to Mommy and Grampa, princess."

"Bye-bye Mama!" Lily flapped her tiny hand at her mother, then her grandfather. "Bye-bye Gampa!"

With Parker's help, Booth got Lily settled into her seat, then loaded up the stroller Max brought out to him. Once they pulled away from Brennan's house, Parker's questions started again. "Where are we going now, Dad?"

"Well, since it's such a nice day, I thought we'd go to the zoo."

"I love the zoo! I can tell Lily about all of the animals!"

Parker kept up a running commentary all the way to the zoo. Lily giggled at her animated older brother, happily kicking her feet in her seat. The trip to the zoo proved to be a resounding success. Lily was fascinated, both by the animals and by her older brother. A grin was fixed on Booth's face as he watched his son and daughter interact. There was no hesitation. Parker immediately slipped into the role of protective big brother. He walked next to the stroller, holding on to Lily's hand, providing a buffer between her and the crowd.

Towards the end of the trip, Lily began to rub her eyes in the universal sign that signaled naptime. "I think Lily's tired, Dad. Maybe we should go home."

Booth ruffled his son's hair. "I think you're right, buddy." He dug into the diaper bag for Lily's favorite doll. "Here, hand this to your little sister."

Parker leaned down and smiled at Lily, holding out the doll. "Here you go, Lily."

Lily eagerly clasped the soft toy in her arms, settling back in the shade of the stroller visor. The car ride back to Bones's house was much more quiet than the ride to the zoo. Lily and Parker dozed in the back seat, their curly heads resting side-by-side on Lily's seat.

When he pulled up to Bones's house, Parker stirred. Booth smiled at his sleepy son. "Hey, buddy. We're at Lily's house. I'm gonna take her inside and then we'll go grab some dinner, ok?"

"'Kay, Daddy," Parker murmured. The little boy leaned over and kissed his sister's chubby little cheek. "Bye Lily. Love you."

Booth gently lifted Lily's sleep heavy body out of the car, cuddling her against his shoulder. With his free hand, he grabbed the diaper bag and made sure that her doll was secure. At the door, he used his elbow to ring the doorbell. Bones opened the door a few seconds later.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi," Bones returned. "Too much fun?"

"Yeah, we wore her out." Booth smiled down at his little girl. "You want me to carry her up to her room?"

Bones shook her head. "No, I can take her. You go and finish your day with Parker."

As he transferred Lily into Bones's arms, he was very aware of the places where they touched. It seemed his hormones didn't want to pay attention to his anger. Once Lily was safely in her mother's arms, Booth took a big step back. "Here's her bag." He set the diaper bag just inside the door. "I'll see you on Monday. Bye, princess." He leaned in and kissed his daughter's downy curls, catching a whiff of the unique scent that signified Bones.

"Booth?" Bones's voice stopped him halfway down the walk.

"I'm glad you had a good day."

Booth smiled. He's spent the day with both of his children in the same place at the same time. It hadn't been a good day. It had been a great day.

A/N: How do you think the story should progress? I have a general idea, but I always welcome feedback. I am going to have a Kathy Reichs copy cat killer threaten our happy little family. Who do you think it should be? What's their motive? All I know is that I want them to work at the Jeffersonian. Let me know if you have any requests for the progression of the story!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! Sorry this is a bit shorter than usual. It's kind of a filler chapter BUT I think you're all going to enjoy it. All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 10: Dreams in the Head

That night, Booth stood in the doorway of his son's dark room, watching the little boy sleep. The only thing that could make him happier was to know that his daughter was sleeping nearby. But she wasn't. Lily, his beautiful baby girl, slept tucked safely in her fairy tale nursery ten minutes away.

As he wandered back to his lonely, shadow-filled room, Booth's mind strayed into the land of what-ifs. What if he hadn't left? What if he had fought for Bones rather than letting her walk away? What if she had told him about Lily before she was born? What if he had come back while she was still pregnant?

He collapsed onto his bed in a swirl of questions. But he knew the answers to all of them. If any of those situations had occurred, he would be living in that house with Bones and Lily. They would be a real family instead of a dysfunctional unit.

On weekends like this, he would wake up with Bones cuddled up next to him. They would lie there and snuggle, maybe make love, until Lily woke up. Then, they would get up and he would play with Lily while Bones made breakfast. The smell of food would wake Parker up and he'd stumble downstairs all sleepy-eyed.

After they ate, they would all get dressed and do something as a family. Maybe go to the park. Or, if it was raining, curl up and watch a movie or play a game. Later, they might go out for pizza or burgers. And he wouldn't have to leave his little girl behind.

He knew he could see her every day, but it wasn't the same. He couldn't get up after one of his nightmares and walk into her room, knowing that, no matter what horrors haunted him, he had done something in his life that was completely innocent and good. He and Bones were both so busy with their separate lives that, even now that he knew about Lily, he could still miss out on some important milestone. He hated being a part time dad to his kids. It wasn't how he was programmed to function, but it was what he had to deal with.

#

Brennan wandered through the darkened house as she often did after her evening writing session. She stopped at the nursery door and peeked in at her sleeping daughter. Her life had changed exponentially since Lily came into her life. Today, watching Booth carry their sleeping daughter up the walkway, she'd been struck by a fact that she had chosen to ignore since right after she found out she was pregnant. Booth was irrevocably linked to her now. Lily was a living, breathing manifestation of their relationship that couldn't be changed.

In these dark hours, she sometimes imagined how life might have been if she hadn't been such a coward. There were so many variables, but there were outcomes she knew to be fact. She and Booth would be here together, watching their daughter sleep, instead of alone in their separate dwellings. Booth would come up behind her and rest his chin on her shoulder, his arms wrapped around her waist. After a few minutes, he would murmur something lascivious in her ear and draw her into their bedroom to make love to her until she couldn't think straight.

He would have been there with her as she labored for 15 hours to bring their daughter into the world, never leaving her side. At the end, he would have been more exhausted than she was, but overjoyed that they had such a perfect baby girl. Despite the fact that he didn't have the proper anatomy, he would be up for every late night feeding just so he could sit and watch 'his girls' as he called them.

Lily wouldn't have taken her first steps to her grandfather. She wouldn't have first smiled at her Uncle Jared. The cheek that covered with frosting at her first birthday party wouldn't have been Uncle Jack's; it would have been her daddy. All of those moments would have belonged to Booth.

From the moment she was born, Booth would have put her on a pedestal. Lily would have been Daddy's Little Princess from day one. She probably still would be. There was still time for her to share moments with her father. But Booth wouldn't have those precious memories with their daughter. And it was both of their faults. His for leaving and never looking back, but also hers for being scared of what they had. If she could do it all over again, she probably would. But there was no way to change the past. She knew that better than anyone.

So she would work with the future. Instinctually, she knew that she and Booth hadn't missed their moment yet. She would be patient. She would wait out his anger and they would be friends again. Once they were friends, he would see how comfortably they fit into each other's lives and that she loved him. And hopefully, he still loved her.

It was her turn to gamble. She only hoped he was there to cover her bet.

A/N: What do you think? Any suggestions on fun family outings that could bring our favorite couple closer together? Should Lily get sick so that they have to work together to take care of her? Have an opinion on how you want the story to progress? Leave a review!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! Two chapters in one day, woo hoo! This is another sort-of filler chapter, but it deals with some issues a lot of you have expressed interest in. All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 11: Family in the City

Booth entered the lab on Monday as early as he could get away from the Hoover building. They didn't have a case, but he needed to see his daughter. On his way to Bones's office, he literally ran in to Cam, sending the file she was reading flying. He hadn't said more than two words to Cam outside the context of work since finding out about Lily.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"No, no. It was my fault," she said, crouching down in her pencil skirt to pick up the scattered papers. He leaned down to help her, his inbred chivalry beating out the grudge he was still nursing against her.

"How have you been, Seeley?" Cam asked, obviously trying to start up a friendly conversation.

"Fine," Booth bit out.

Cam stopped and frowned at him. "When are you going to forgive me?"

Before he could respond, he heard an unwelcome voice call out, "Seeley! There you are. I've been looking every where for you!"

The annoyance he had been feeling at Cam's feeble attempts to get back on his good side festered into full-fledged anger at his brother's arrival. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"You've been ignoring me for over a week now. I figured I would find you here, and if not, I would at least get to see my niece." Jared looked as non-challant as usual. He didn't seem to be phased by the fact that his older brother's eyes sizzled with rage. "Look, Seels, can't we just talk about this whole thing? You can't ignore me forever."

"Don't," Booth bit out. "Just don't."

"What's your problem, Seeley? Why are you so pissed at me?"

"It's not just you, Jarhead. He's pretty pissed at me too," Cam put in, crossing her arms and giving Booth a cold stare that would have normally scared him into submission. Not this time.

"Damn right I'm pissed. _Both_ of you neglected to mention the rather pertinent fact that I had a _daughter_ for almost _two _years. One of my oldest friends and my own _brother_ didn't tell me that I had a child. And you know what? I get to be pissed for a while."

Jared's easy gaze hardened. "You were the one who ran away, Seeley. You went off to pout because Tempe was scared and you never looked back. One phone call, Seel, that's all it would have taken. But you broke her."

"I love you like a brother, Seeley, but Jared's right. You left and you never called her or even asked me about her. I wasn't going to be the one to tell you about Lily and have you come back and hurt Brennan all over again." Cam was fierce now, protecting one of her own. "I'm glad that you're back and trying to be a good dad to Lily, but the only one you have to blame for this situation is yourself."

Jared shook his head. "I hate to say this, brother, but even I couldn't have gotten into a mess like this one and looked like such a jackass. You screwed the pooch on this one. I just hope, for Lily's sake, you can fix this like you always did."

Booth was furious and flabbergasted. _He _was the one who was supposed to be pissed, not them. He glared at the two of them. He didn't know what to stay. Rather than causing a huge scene in the middle of the lab, he stormed past them. Still seething, he didn't bother to knock on the door to Bones's office; he just barged right in.

"Booth? What's wrong?" Bones asked, starting to push away from her desk. Booth just shook his head. Lily was already on her way over to him, running at full speed.

"Hi-hi! Hi-hi!" she squealed. "Pay? Pay doll?"

Rather than scooping her up like he normally would, Booth knelt down and met her at her height, squeezing her in a tight hug. He held on for several long minutes, not letting go. He pressed his face in the soft crook of her little neck, breathing in the fresh baby scent of her. After a little while, Lily began to squirm in the confining hold. "Pay?"

"Sure, princess. Daddy will play dolls with you for a bit." Booth kissed her temple before letting her go. Lily grabbed hold of two of his fingers in her tiny hand and led him over to her play corner. Proudly, she handed him her favorite doll, then started to jabber in mostly baby nonsense with her other doll.

#

"Booth? What's wrong? Was that Jared I saw with Cam?" Brennan frowned at him, annoyed with abrupt behavior and his unexpected arrival.

Lily's little ears perked up. "Unk Jay? Unk Jay pay, Mama?"

Booth scowled. "No, princess. Uncle Jared had to leave."

Brennan got up from her desk. "Why was Jared here in the first place? What is going on?"

"Leave it alone, Brennan," Booth warned.

Brennan sat down on the couch and shook her head. "Booth, something is obviously bothering you. You always used to make me talk about my personal problems rather than internalizing them. You said it was bad for the digestion or something, which is obviously not true."

Brennan could see Booth trying to hold on to his righteous anger. But she knew that the sweet sound of Lily's chatter was more than a match for any anger he might be feeling. By degrees, Booth's shoulders lost the tension they had been holding until they sagged in defeat. Giving Lily a small smile, he gave her doll back and went to collapse on the couch next to Bones. "Have I been a jackass?"

Brennan raised her eyebrows. "Is that a trick question?" she asked suspiciously. She knew that Booth was self-deprecating at times, but she'd never heard him sound like this.

"No, I meant it. Have I been a jackass since I got back? About the whole Lily situation, but before that too."

Brennan didn't quite know how to answer that, so she evaded for a moment. "What brought this on? Did something happen with Jared?"

Booth let out a sardonic laugh. "Can't get anything past you, can I, Dr. Brennan?" He ran his hands over his face. "Yeah. Jared showed up because I've been ignoring his phone calls. I started to confront him and Cam about not calling me about Lily, but then they turned it around on me." He sent her a look filled with hurt and confusion. "Is this whole situation my fault? Was I a jackass? Should I have stayed?"

Brennan's heart hurt for him. She'd never seen him doubt himself like this. "Oh, Booth." She sighed. "Since I know you value honesty, I'm going to tell you the truth. Yes, you have been a jackass. The Booth I knew wouldn't have disappeared like you did and never called. Even when we were in a fight, I still heard from you at least once every day or so. When you left like you did and didn't call, I will admit, I was deeply hurt. Until I realized you'd left behind the best part of you." She smiled over at their daughter, who was quietly playing in the corner, seemingly oblivious to the tenor of her parents' discussion.

"Is this situation your fault?" She shook her head. "No, not entirely. I'm the one who was a coward to begin with. You opened your heart to me and I was too terrified to open mine. But I do think you should have stayed. I'm supposed to be the coward in this relationship, not you. Then again, maybe it was your turn to run. Either way, we can't change any of that. We are where we are and we both just have to accept that."

Booth sat there in broody silence for several minutes, mulling over all of her little speech. Finally picking up that something wasn't right in her little world, Lily toddled over and climbed up onto the couch between her parents. With a sweet little smile, she leaned her head against Booth's slumped shoulder and patted her mother's hand where it lay on the cushion. Booth smiled at the little girl they had made together, all of his anger paling in comparison to his love for this charming little person.

"What do you say we both agree to forgive and forget? Start off with a clean slate?" he murmured, never taking his eyes off Lily. "Lily doesn't need her parents to always have this baggage between them. She doesn't deserve that."

Smiling at the sweet picture the other two occupants of the couch made, she nodded. "I think that sounds like a very logical plan. For Lily and for us."

Booth gave her the puppy dog eyes. "I want us to be friends again, Bones. I miss that."

Cuddling close to their daughter, she nodded. "Me too, Booth. Me too."

A/N: Love it? Hate it? Let me know! Leave a review. Next chapter: Lily gets sick. But with what? Chicken pox? Flu? Pneumonia? Scarlet Fever? A stomach virus? I'm also thinking of having Bones get sick from her. What do you think?


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! By popular demand, the winner of the diseases is...chicken pox! There were a few other interesting suggestions (such as the plague), but I felt this worked best. All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 12: Disease in the Nursery

"Lily, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Brennan paced the nursery at 11 o'clock at night about two weeks after the discussion in her office. Lily had been out of sorts all day. She refused to do more than drink a little juice and had sat in her little corner all day. All of the animation seemed to have deserted the little girl. It hadn't helped that Booth had been stuck in a seminar at Quantico all day, so he hadn't been able to stop by and see her.

Now she was fussing and quietly crying. "Mama, me no feel dood," Lily whimpered, pressing her forehead into the crook of her mother's neck, her favorite doll clutched in her little fist.

"I know, baby, I know." Bones switched on the lamp and moved to the rocker, settling them both in the comfortable chair. As soon as she settled, she saw the culprit. All over her little girl's arms and chubby legs were covered with little red dots. "Oh, no."

Chicken pox. Her baby had chicken pox. Bones put the back of her wrist to Lily's forehead. It was warmer than usual, her silky curls sticking to it with sweat. Facts began to run through her mind. Highly contagious illness caused by primary infection with varicella zoster virus. Manifests in children with a rash that turn into pockmarks. Easily spread through coughs and sneezes.

Lily let out a dainty sneeze. And Brennan remembered a rather pertinent fact- she had never had the chicken pox and she had never been vaccinated. It was quite likely that she would catch the disease as well. She couldn't very well take care of her daughter if she was sick too. Her pride rebelled against the idea, but Lily's pitiful little sobs overruled it. Carefully shifting Lily, she dug her cell phone out of her pocket and pressed Booth's name on the touch screen.

A second later, his groggy voice answered. "Bones? Whass wrong? Is Lily ok?"

"I'm sorry to wake you, Booth, but Lily's got the chicken pox. She's cranky and feels bad, but I don't think it's a good idea for me to take care of her by myself. I was never vaccinated, so it is quite likely that I will get sick within the next day or so. Could you come over and help?"

Booth's voice sounded much more alert when he responded. "Sure, Bones. I'll be there in 10 minutes."

As she hung up the phone, Bones smiled down at her daughter. "Daddy's coming, Lily. He's good at taking care of people. We'll just sit here and rock until he gets here."

The next thing Brennan knew, light from the big bay window was waking her up. Coughing, Bones slowly pried her eyes open, wandering why it felt like she was wiping them with sandpaper.

"Look, princess, it looks like Mommy's waking up." Booth's voice came from nearby. Brennan blinked rapidly, the room slowly coming into focus. She saw Booth holding their daughter close, rubbing circles on her back to keep her calm.

"Did she get any sleep last night?" Brennan's voice was scratchy and hoarse.

Booth smiled down at their daughter. "A little, not much. Wouldn't let me sit down. But I managed to keep her from scratching, so that was a bonus. I called her doctor a few minutes ago and got her an appointment. Looks like you may need one too."

"What?" Brennan looked down at her bare arms. Little red spots had popped up on her skin overnight. "Ugh. No. I can't get sick."

Booth chuckled. "Sorry, Bones, but you have chicken pox."

"You won't get chicken pox will you? Because it would not be beneficial to any of us if all three of us were sick."

"Don't worry, Bones. I got a wicked case of chicken pox when I was a kid, so I'm immune. And I took care of Parker when he got it, so I'm an expert at treating chicken pox patients. Why don't you go grab a quick shower and then I'll escort both of you to the doctor's office."

Brennan thought that he sounded a bit too bossy, but she was too drained to care.

#

After having the doctor confirm that both mother and child had chicken pox, Booth picked up their prescriptions and a big bottle of calamine lotion. By the time he got them back to Brennan's house, both girls were cranky and tired.

Lily was quietly fretting in her car seat. "Hey, baby girl, it's ok," he soothed, unstrapping her. Lily's face immediately found it's favorite place in the crook of his neck. Her sweaty little forehead was hot against his skin, but not as hot as it was last night. Part of him ached for his little girl, hating to see her miserable. But another part of him was a _little_ bit thrilled to get to take care of his daughter. And, if he stopped to think about it, he liked that he got to take care of Bones too. It was a nice change from the thoroughly independent woman he was used to dealing with.

Bones slowly trudged up her walkway behind Booth. He knew she probably felt like shit. The doctor said that chicken pox were going to be a lot harder for her than Lily. If he knew Bones at all, he was going to have to fight her tooth and nail to keep her in bed. He'd already called Cam and his boss to let them know not to expect to see either of them for the rest of the week. Bones had set next to him, looking like she wanted to protest, but the rational side of her knew that she couldn't risk getting anyone else sick or compromising the bones.

"Here, Bones, you take the princess and you two get situated in your room. I'll be up in a minute with some food and your medicine." Booth gently passed his daughter over to her mother, kissing her temple. "All you two have to do is get into pjs and get comfortable."

"Mmmkay," Brennan mumbled, settling Lily against her and making her way up the stairs.

As Booth located a tray and poured a glass and sippy cup of juice, he smiled at how grumpy and groggy Bones was when she was sick. Thinking back, he couldn't ever recall her getting ill since they had none each other. There had been one or two minor hospital trips, but he had usually been the one needing to be taken care of. He laughed at loud at the memories of her fixing his back problems. In her clinical little way, she had given him the best care. Now it was his turn to return the favor.

When he got upstairs, he realized he didn't know which room was Brennan's. Rather than wandering aimlessly through the hall, he called out, "Marco!"

Brennan's scratchy voice replied. "Polo!" The sound came from the room at the end of the hall, right next to Lily's. He'd never seen in there because the door was always shut when he was over. He entered the room to see mother and daughter cuddled up in the oversized queen-sized bed, their dark, curly heads peaking out over the fluffy dark blue down comforter.

The room was large and comfortable. He was surprised to see a flat screen TV hanging on the wall opposite the bed. An overstuffed chair matching the comforter occupied one corner. The far wall was dominated by a large, dark wood bookshelf filled with…novels. That surprised him more than the TV. Other than the ones she'd written, he had never seen her read a book that was purely fiction.

"Here you are, m'ladies. Juice and oatmeal with brown sugar. It's instant, but it'll still taste good." Booth smiled at them. "So, let's sit up and eat so you can take your medicine."

Bones struggled into an upright position. "You'll have to feed, Lily."

Booth set the tray in her lap. "I know. That's why I came prepared." He pulled a large bib out of his pocket with a flourish. "So, you eat and drink while I take care of the munchkin."

"Me no feel good," Lily whined. "Pots itchy."

She sounded so pitiful that Booth and Bones had to chuckle. "I know, baby," Booth crooned, taking the little girl and the small bowl of oatmeal to sit on a towel he had spread on the floor. "But we're going to eat some of this yummy oatmeal, then I'll give you some of your medicine and we'll put some pink lotion on and you'll feel all better, ok?"

Lily pouted, but she let her father slowly feed her oatmeal, supplementing with sips of juice. Every now and then, Booth would glance up to make sure that Bones was eating her own oatmeal. She looked ready to fall over, but she was eating more cheerfully than her daughter.

As soon as they were finished with the meal and taken their medicine, Booth settled Lily beside Bones and took the tray downstairs, stacking the dishes in the sink for later. On his way back up, he grabbed the calamine lotion and the bottle of Aveeno oatmeal powder he had picked up at the store.

"So, Dr. Jones prescribed an oatmeal bath, followed by a coating of calamine. I'll do Lily first, then help you if you need it."

Bones looked mildly alarmed at that idea. He wasn't too sure how he felt about seeing her naked while sick either. "I'm sure I can manage the bath and the lotion by myself. I may require assistance with reaching parts of my back, but I am perfectly capable of doing the rest myself."

Booth shrugged. "Works for me. Ready for your bath Lily-bit?" Booth gently picked the little girl up out of bed.

Booth had always loved how babies felt. He knew that Lily was strong and resilient, but she felt so delicate and helpless. As he bathed her, he marveled at the fact that it was his job to teach her how to be her own, unique little person and keep her safe from the outside world. Lily seemed to settle a bit in the lukewarm bath and, by the time he had finished the lotion and redressed her, she was nodding off on his shoulder. Careful not to wake her, he eased her back into bed.

Bones had gone to take a bath after he got Lily out, so he sat in the chair to wait for her to summon him to help with her back. Booth had to give himself a bit of a pep talk going into this. He hadn't been with a woman since Bones. He had come close once, but he couldn't go through with it. That meant that he hadn't been in the same room with a naked woman in just as long. But he couldn't think about that. Bones was sick. He needed to be…clinical. Yeah, that was it. He needed to act like she did when she looked at bones. He couldn't dwell on the fact that she wasn't wearing clothes. He had to focus on the red spots marring her normally perfect skin.

"Booth? I'm ready!" she called through the bathroom door.

He took a deep breath and let it out heavily. He could do this…Right?"

A/N: Ooh, cliffhanger. I wanted to get this posted tonight, so I opted to leave you hanging. Disease in the Nursery Part 2 will be up late tomorrow or early Saturday. Let me know what you think!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! Just so we're all clear: Booth and Bones are no longer blaming each other. Bygones are bygones and they are trying to rebuild their friendship (several reviewers seem quite concerned about this point). All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 13: Disease in the Nursery Part 2

Booth cautiously entered the large bathroom. Bones was standing in front of the counter, the bottle of somewhat slimy pink lotion sitting open in front of her. She had put on a pair of plain, loose blue pajama pants and held a towel up to cover her front, her arms crossed under her breasts, making them more pronounced than he suspected she realized. He couldn't help but stop and stare for a minute.

He felt a bit lecherous, but, despite the angry red spots coating her normally smooth skin, he found her back…well, sexy, for lack of a better word. It showed off the simplicity and beauty of her figure better than he would have expected. He wanted to caress it, feeling all of the easy curves and warm skin under his hands. The gentle flair of her hips and the roundness of her backside had always been his favorite things to admire as they worked together. A lot of times they had been the only things he could admire for any length of time.

Reminding himself that she was sick and their daughter was asleep in the next room, he pushed back his more lascivious thoughts and focused on the task at hand. As he picked up the bottle and the cotton ball she had been using as an applicator, he got a good look at her face in the mirror. Where there were once bright red pockmarks, now there were pale pink blotches. He tried really hard, but he couldn't contain a deep belly laugh at the polka-dotted sight of the great Dr. Temperance Brennan.

"Booth!" she chastised, her voice scratchy from too much coughing. "It's not funny."

He began to dab her back, making her jump a little at the coolness of the lotion, still chuckling. "Come on, Bones. You gotta admit, you do look a little silly."

He could see her fighting a smile, her dimples showing up as the corners of her lips moving as she battled with herself. After a few seconds, the smile won. "Perhaps a little. But you should not be amused by my illness."

Booth made a big show of sobering his face. "You're right, Bones. I shouldn't."

But when he fought back the amusement, the unwelcome thoughts of desire came back. Once again, he's away for the heat radiating off her body, most likely from fever. Where there aren't spots, her skin is just as smooth as he remembered. A part of him was amazed that this body that seemed so unchanged had carried his child less than two years ago. He wished he had seen it. The flicker of anger he felt at that thought was enough to get him through the lotion application without embarrassing himself.

"Alright, Bones. Give it a few minutes to dry and you're good to go," he said, clearing his throat. "I'm…I'm gonna go and do the dishes. Lily's already asleep."

"Thank you, Booth." She smiled at him in the mirror. "You didn't have to do this. Drop everything to take care of us."

Booth returned her smile, his own a bit rueful. "Yeah, I did, Bones. That's what friends do right? I…I'm glad you called me when Lily got sick instead of your dad or Angela."

"I knew Lily would want you there. She loves Dad and Angela, but right from the start she's been attached to you in a special way. She's become quite the Daddy's girl."

Booth blushed a little and shuffled his tennis shoes. "Well, I'm still glad you called."

"I'm glad you came." So was he.

A/N: I know this is short, but I wanted to at least give you something today. A bit of sexy, a bit of internal conflict and more bridge building. Let me know what you think! Part 3 will be up tomorrow (hopefully).


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 14: Disease in the Nursery Part 3

When Booth got done cleaning the kitchen, he went back upstairs to find Bones and Lily cuddled up on the bed, the TV turned on low.

"What are we watching, ladies?" he asked, smiling at the charming, if pitiful, sight they made, the pale faces dotted with red, all of the energy drained out of their blue eyes. Still, he thought they were cute.

"Belle," Lily said by way of explanation. Booth looked at the TV, vaguely recognizing the dancing dishes and the talking candlestick.

Booth pretended to be shocked. "You, Dr. Temperance Brennan, allow our daughter to watch a _Disney_ movie?"

Brennan rolled her eyes. "Angela bought it for her birthday. And of all of the animated movies with communicative inanimate objects and objectified females, it is the only one that encourages female intelligence. I see no problem in allowing our daughter to view a princess movie that gives positive reinforcement. She also enjoys _Mulan_, despite it's gross misrepresentation of historical events and distortion of protocols."

Booth laughed. "Bones, only you would find anthropological reasons for our daughter to watch animated movies."

Lily didn't seem to appreciate her parents talking during her movie. "Sit!" she ordered, patting the empty bed beside her. "Belle!"

"Yes, ma'am," Booth replied. After toeing off his shoes, Booth stretched out next to his daughter. At intervals during the movie, he made sure to force both patients to drink juice. Several times, he had to hold Lily's hands so she wouldn't scratch. Half way through the movie, Bones fell asleep.

At the sight of her mother asleep in the middle of the day, Lily giggled and held a little finger to her lips. "Shhh! Mama seepy," she announced, doing her best toddler whisper.

Booth chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, Mama is sick and needs to sleep so she'll feel better," he whispered. "You should sleep too."

She shook her little head; her baby soft curls gently slapping against his face, the smell of oatmeal wafting off them. "No seepy. Watch Belle."

Her jaw set in the same stubborn position as her mother's when she made up her mind, Lily settled into the crook of her father's shoulder and turned her attention to her movie. Booth looked down at her, experiencing a new side to his daughter. Every day was a new experience. Like her mother, she was a complicated little creature whose unique facets delighted him. Even when she was sick, being around her clued him in to new details about her.

Soon enough, Lily had fallen asleep on his shoulder. And Booth lay there, enjoying the peaceful stillness of the room.

Late that night, things were not so peaceful. Bones was sleeping again, but Lily was definitely not asleep. The sound of his little girl's quiet sobs broke Booth's heart. She had gone to sleep an hour before, but had woken up sobbing hysterically. She had nearly given Booth a heart attack, the sobbing was so furious.

Thankfully, she had settled down a bit, but little sobs still shook her body. Booth paced the moonlit room, moving back and forth, gently rubbing soothing circles on her warm back under her little pajama shirt. "It's ok, sweet girl," he murmured, pressing kisses into her hair. "It's ok, Daddy's here. Daddy loves his princess so much. Daddy won't let anything happen."

"No feel dood," Lily whimpered.

Booth sighed. "I know, baby." He had just given her another dose of medicine that should kick in soon and reapplied her lotion. "You'll feel better soon."

"Itchy bad. Me no like itch," Lily grumbled.

"The itch will stop soon, sweetheart. I promise." The longer he paced, the limper he felt Lily go. Carefully, he sat down in the armchair, Lily still cuddled against his chest, although he shifted her around so she faced forward.

Lily's breathing had leveled out so he thought she was asleep until her little voice broke the silence of the shadowy room. "Me lub you Dada," she whispered.

Booth's breath caught in his closed throat. Tears stung his eyes. His daughter had finally called him 'Dada.' His heart soared. "I love you, too, princess. Daddy loves you more than anything."

#

Brennan lay very still in the bed, concentrating on keeping her breathing even. She had been awake for a while now, listening to Booth's interactions with their daughter. Not many men of her acquaintance would give up two night's sleep to walk the floor with their sick daughters. At some point, they would just turn things over to their wives and snore away. But not Seeley Booth.

She was pleased to hear Lily finally say 'Dada.' Booth hadn't said anything, but she knew he was secretly impatient to here their daughter acknowledge him as her father. But, like both of her parents, Lily did everything in her own time. By the sound of Booth's voice when he replied, it was well worth the wait for him.

#

Brennan and Lily gradually recovered over the next five days under Booth's vigilant care. The spots were slowly starting to fade from their porcelain skin and their fevers were all but gone.

Sunday night, Booth sat at the table with Brennan and Lily, eating take-out Chinese, enjoying the companionship.

"I'm going back to work in the morning," Bones announced in her professor voice.

Booth's brow furrowed. "You sure you're up for it?" It was selfish, but part of him didn't want them to be well yet. He liked living here with them.

"Yes. I have regained most of my strength and I have no new spots. It is time I return to the lab and Lily needs to get back into her routine. And you need to return to work. I'm sure there are cases requiring our attention." Brennan didn't quite meet his eyes. She didn't want him to leave, but she knew that it was time for them to return to the real world.

Booth scowled down at his food. "Just promise me you'll take it easy, ok, Bones? If we get a case, I'm going to take Wendell out in the field for the next week or so, just so you don't overdo it."

Bones looked a little annoyed by this, but she nodded. "That seems practical."

They sat in awkward silence for the rest of the meal, the only sound coming from their chopsticks hitting the plate. Lily noticed there was something off between her parents because she only picked at her noodles and orange chicken, something she usually devoured with gusto.

Once they had done the dishes, Booth sighed. "Guess I should go back to my place. Since we're getting back into a routine and everything."

Brennan frowned, but nodded. "Yes, that would be wise. We will see you tomorrow?"

"Sure." Booth gathered his stuff up in a gym bag. Lily followed him around, frowning up at him. When he reached the front door, he crouched down to give her a hug. "Daddy's got to go back to his house tonight, princess. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

Tears welled up in Lily's clear blue eyes. "Dada no go. Dada seep here." She clung to his neck.

Booth's heart clenched in his chest. He hated to make her cry like this. It was one of the worst parts of dysfunctional families for little ones. The separation. "No, baby. Daddy has to go to his house. And tomorrow you'll go to work with Mommy and see Uncle Jack and Aunt Ange and Aunt Cam. Then Daddy will stop by and see you for a little bit. Ok?"

Still crying, Lily nodded, her head resting against his broad shoulder. "Me lub you, Dada."

"I love you too, Lily. I love you too."

A/N: Again, kind of a filler chapter, but things needed to happen. I needed to get through the illness and Lily needed to call Booth Dada. How should Booth realize he could still love Bones (rather than realizing he still finds her attractive as he did in the last chapter)? What did you think? Let me know! Leave a review!


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! I am sorry x1,000,000 for taking so long to update. I've been horribly distracted. My parents made me watch the first half of the first season of Glee with them and I got a little hooked. That, combined with the visit of my writing mentor hasn't left much time for fan fiction. This is another transition chapter, but I promise much more (hopefully) enticing action in the next chapter. All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 15

The next day, Booth rushed through his morning work so he could be at the Jeffersonian in time for lunch. Leaving Lily last night had just about ripped his heart out. His small apartment had seemed huge and empty without his little girl toddling around, jabbering or reaching her arms up to him, demanding to be picked up for a cuddle. He even missed walking into a room, half-hoping, half-fearing to see Bones there. His apartment was just a place to sleep. There was no warmth, no comfort. There were just things.

He couldn't wait to see Lily. After seeing her non-stop for a week, he felt like a little kid deprived of his favorite candy or his best friend. Drumming his hands impatiently on the steering wheel of his SUV, Booth found a parking spot and hurried into the building. As he entered the building, he briefly noted squints milling around, doing their work, but he didn't devote too much attention to them. He was focused on one squint's office in particular, and the mini-squint that occupied it.

His shoulders slumped a little when he entered the office to find it completely empty. He was scowling so fiercely when he exited the room that he almost ran into Hodgins.

"Whoa, easy there, Booth." Hodgins laughed, clapping the taller man on the back. "Problems?"

"Yeah. Know where I can find Lily?"

Hodgins chuckled some more and smirked knowingly. "Last time I checked, Ange had a surprise for her and Dr. B in her office. I was just heading over there to see if they wanted lunch."

"I'll walk with you," Booth said, striding off in the direction of Angela's office, Hodgins a few steps behind him, probably still smirking.

Booth didn't bother knocking; he just opened the door and let himself into Angela's darkened office. On the far side of Angela's screen, Bones held Lily high against her chest, Lily's little face close to hers. Lily's little eyes looked like china-blue saucers, wide with wonder. On Angela's screen was the aquarium she had created for the shark case they'd had right before he left. Then, the screen morphed into a 3-D animated jungle. A colorful parrot swooped around the tops of the lush trees. A leopard stretched lazily then, draped himself over a vine-covered branch. Monkeys scampered over branches and swung off vines. After a few minutes, the scene faded into a more domestic setting. A roly-poly golden retriever puppy frolicked through cheerful spring grass. A calico kitten blithely chased a bright yellow butterfly.

Booth couldn't help noticing how relaxed Bones looked. Next to their daughter's delighted face, Bones seemed to lose ten years from her usually serious face. A soft, fascinated smile lit her face. When she looked at Lily, a hint of pride and a ton of adoration joined that fascination. In that moment, Booth knew exactly how she fetl. Despite the still fading pockmarks and the still grayish pallor of her skin, she looked…not beautiful, exactly. But definitely pretty. Especially since she'd left her chocolate hair loose to curl around her face. He loved it when she did that. He had to stop and remind himself that it didn't matter how he liked her hair; all they were to each other were friends trying to co-parent their toddler.

When the scene finally faded, Lily clapped her hands enthusiastically. Laughing, Angela curtsied. Booth joined in the applause, making his way over to his daughter. Bones looked startled to realize that they weren't alone. Lily's smile grew even bigger when she saw her daddy.

"Dada!" She reached her chubby little hands out to him, stretching so much that Bones had to struggle to keep hold of her until he got close enough to take her. Booth felt a little frisson of electricity as his hand brushed the side of Brennan's breast as Lily moved from her arms into his. He mentally shook his head. It had been way too long since he'd touched a woman's breasts. Instead of dwelling on that fact, Booth refocused on the squirming little girl who was looking up at him adoringly.

"Hi, princess," he said. "Whatcha doin'?"

Lily giggled. "An Ange make aminals. Pretty!"

"It was very pretty. What do you say to Aunt Angela for making your surprise?" He and Bones had started to try and teach her manners as soon as she began to form sentences.

Lily sent Angela a beaming, charming smile. "Tank you, An Ange! Me love you!"

Angela returned her smile. "You're welcome, sweetheart. Nice to see you, Booth. Got a case for us?"

Booth shook his head. "Nope." He gave Lily an Eskimo kiss, rubbing her little nose with his. "I am just here to take my favorite girl and my partner to lunch. Gotta make sure they eat healthy so they don't get sick again."

Brennan raised her eyebrows in surprise. "That is very thoughtful of you, Booth, but I really need to get back to work. I have fallen severely behind due to my illness But you should take Lily. She's probably more than ready to be free from the lab for a little while."

Booth's enthusiasm flagged a little, but he smiled at his daughter. "Ok, if you're sure. Maybe I'll take her some place with a playground. If you're not going to come with us, though, I insist that you let me bring something back for you. No skipping meals until you're completely healed."

Bones rolled her eyes, but nodded. "That seems like a very agreeable plan."

"Say bye-bye to Mommy, princess. We're gonna go play so that the squints can get work done."

Lily flapped her little hand at her mother. "Bye-bye, Mommy. Me go pay wif Dada."

"See ya later, Bones. Angela. Hodgins."

#

Booth was barely out of earshot with Lily when Angela shooed Hodgins out of her office and forced Brennan to sit on her couch. "Spill," Angela ordered.

"Spill what? I have no beverage or soup." Brennan knew what her friend wanted, but she hoped by playing obtuse she could distract Angela long enough to escape.

Angela raised an eyebrow and glared at her. "I want the details about what's going on with you and Booth. Things seem to be decidedly less frosty than they've been. And when did Lily start calling him Dada?"

Brennan sighed, smiling a little. "About a week ago."

"A week ago? But you were sick…" Angela gasped. "Booth is the one you got to take care of you and the munchkin last week, isn't he? I though you got your dad to come over."

Brennan blushed. "Um, no. When Lily got sick she wouldn't stop crying, so I panicked and called Booth. He stayed with us and was very competent at taking care of us. I conjecture that having to be in a nurturing role made him more... amicable about our situation."

Angela laughed. "Honey, he's more than amicable. Amicable doesn't ask you to lunch. That's something you would do before, when you were friends. And the way he was looking at you was way more than amicable."

Brennan shook her head. "You must be mistaken. After what I've done, I don't deserve for Booth's previous feelings to return. The best I can hope for is to regain our friendship status. We are going to just be friends who co-parent."

Angela sighed, not missing the wistful tone in her friend's voice. "Whatever. It's good to see you closer to being Brennan and Booth again."

As she walked back to her office, Brennan felt a little guilty. Angela was her best friend and, as her best friend, would normally be privy to all of her personal thoughts and feelings, especially regarding romantic relationships or lack thereof. But she couldn't bring herself to express these thoughts and feelings aloud. The more time she spent with him, the more infatuated she became with Seeley Booth. He was…well, he was the father of her child. And she couldn't imagine a more perfect one if she had picked him out of a database.

Brennan tried to suppress these feelings. These were perfectly natural reactions. He was the father of her child. Anthropologically speaking, a female was always attracted in some way to the male who helped produce her offspring. Especially when the male was as aesthetically pleasing as Booth. These were simply new feelings for her to experience. Over time, she would grow accustomed to the pull of attraction once more. She had simply forgotten the feelings since he went away. Yes, that was the logical explanation for all of this.

#

Over the next month, their little family fell into a comfortable pattern. Every possible day, Booth joined them at the Jeffersonian around lunchtime and took them out to eat or brought sandwiches. Around six every evening, he would bring whatever remaining work he had and work there until Bones was ready to break for dinner and go home. Lily relished having both of her parents around. She had blossomed into a very precocious, energetic, but adorable little girl. Booth loved watching her little personality growing and developing.

Speaking of developing, he couldn't help noticing how his relationship with Bones was developing. Seeing her so regularly, it felt like they had returned to their normal dynamic or at least as normal as they could get with an almost two year old added into the mix. He still missed having her always out in the field with him, but he liked that she prioritized Lily over her desire to find bones. It proved him right on his early theories that she would be an excellent mother.

Only, lately, it had become harder to just see her as a mother. She was so much more than just the mother of his child. She was a brilliant scientist who always blew him away with her ability to solve the unsolvable cases. She was his best friend who always made him smile with her quirks. But more…disconcertingly, she was a woman. A very, very attractive and appealing woman. Whenever he wasn't watching himself, his mind would flit back to the times he'd helped put lotion on her back. Or, if he was really distracted, their one night together.

When he first got back, he'd still been angry and hurt and there had been no question about even thinking of pursuing the relationship he had once wanted with every fiber of his being. But now, all of the anger and hurt had faded into almost invisible scars and the questions began to pop up again. There were new complications to consider, such as the effects a romantic relationship would have on their daughter, but he couldn't deny the persistent questions.

But for some reason, he couldn't do more than allow them to continue to exist within their safe little domestic routine. For now, it was enough to just be around her and their daughter, to see them on a daily basis and know that he would see them the next day. But how long would it be enough? And how would he deal with that situation when it occurred?

He tossed and turned at night, caught between decidedly steamy dreams staring Bones and the plaguing questions running through his mind.

A/N: What'd you think? Again, sorry for the lack of updates. Please don't that that keep you from reviewing :)


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! I was too hyped up by the Grey's Anatomy finale and the Bones finale to sleep, so I wrote. Enjoy the fruits of my insomnia. All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 16: Daddy in the House

The day had started just like any other. Booth went about his usual morning of paperwork and legwork on old cases. He spent way too long looking at the picture of Lily and Bones on his desk before caving and getting ready to drive over to the Jeffersonian to try and steal them away for lunch.

He was just getting into his car when his phone rang.

"Booth."

"Booth, it's Sweets. We have a problem." The psychologist's voice was way too calm and way too serious for Booth's comfort.

Panic began to rise in his gut. A million different scenarios ran through his head. "What is it, Sweets? Is something wrong with Lily? Parker? Bones?"

"No, nothing is wrong with them…exactly," Sweets rushed to assure him. He failed.

Booth grit his teeth. "Cut the crap, Sweets. What's the problem?"

Sweets took a deep breath before responding. "Another team of agents was called in on a case in Maryland. It…it turns out that the case was a perfect reproduction of a scene from one of Dr. Brennan's recent books. Attached was a note."

Booth grew more agitated at the hesitation in Sweets's voice. "What did the note say, Sweets?" Sweets continued to hesitate, strengthening the panic coursing through Booth. "_What. Did. The Note. Say?_"

The edge in his voice scared Sweets enough for the younger man to start talking. "The note was…it contained a message that… a message that we have judged to be of a stalker-like nature. They seemed to be seeking Dr. Brennan's approval as well as to frighten her. They warned that this was not their last…homage."

Booth's breath caught in his throat. "Does…does Bones know about this yet?"

"No," Sweets replied. "I wanted to tell you first. I know you are usually on your way to the Jeffersonian around this time of day. I thought you could tell her and start taking whatever…precautions you felt necessary."

Booth sighed. "You're right. I'm in the car on my way there now. Was there a note with the other victim?"

Sweets paused, papers ruffled in the background. "According to the case notes, there was, but I don't have a copy. I'll get a copy faxed over to the Jeffersonian right now."

"How bad does this guy sound, Sweets? How worried should I be?" Booth wasn't asking as an agent; he was asking as a friend.

"Stalkers are always unpredictable; you know that. But a killer stalker? Who leaves notes? I would be extremely cautious, Booth. This isn't like before, when it was just you two against the world."

"I know, Sweets. That's what scares the shit out of me."

Booth turned on his siren and sped towards the Jeffersonian. The siren and lights might have been a bit overkill, but he didn't give a damn. He jogged through the halls of the Jeffersonian, not caring about the strange looks everyone gave him. He didn't stop until he'd reached the forensics department. He slowed down a bit once he walked through the glass doors, but not by much. When he got to Bones's office, the little scene he could see through the glass wall made him pause.

Over the past few months, he had seen many scenes like this. Peaceful little domestic moments between Lily and Bones; playing, reading, watching a movie. They always filled his chest with this overwhelming tenderness. It was almost too much now. He was going to have to go in there and tell Bones something that was going to turn their world on its ear. Lily was sitting on Brennan's lap, cuddled close in her favorite spot. Her preferred doll was clutched under one arm. She wasn't sleepy, but she had the look of a very mellow, content child, secure with her place in the world. Booth knew there would be a special light in Brennan's blue eyes; the light reserved just for her quiet time with Lily.

Booth took a few fortifying breaths before he quietly opened the door. Both brown heads turned towards him. Lily squirmed her way off the couch and ran to him. With a weak smile, Booth scooped her up, holding her tightly against his chest, assuring himself that she was alright.

"Booth? What is wrong?" The little worried furrow had taken up residence between Bones's perfectly arched eyebrows. She stood up and moved towards him. Booth stared at her for a moment before taking her hand and leading her back to sit on the couch. "This must be serious. What is it? Has something happened? Do you have to leave again? You look extremely concerned about something."

"I'm a bit more than concerned, Bones." Booth had to force himself to control his emotions, the tone of his voice. He didn't want to scare Lily. "First, I am not leaving again. I would fight tooth and nail before doing that. We have a case. But it's not just any case."

"Well, I'm sure we can handle it. There's really no reason to look so worried, Booth."

"Yeah, there is, Bones. Look, I'm just gonna come out and say it. There have been two murders in the past two weeks that are copycats of murders from your books. And there have been notes with both that Sweets thinks indicate that you have a stalker." Booth pressed a kiss into Lily's hair, rubbing his hand up and down her back, more to sooth himself than her.

Bones was silent for a long time. He could tell she was trying not to show her emotions, but he could see them roiling through her just as they did through him. They'd dealt with stuff like this before, but there had never been Lily to think about. Their jobs had never so directly affected someone else's life before. Parker had always been removed from any dangerous situations because Rebecca was his primary caretaker, except for with Epps. Booth still had the occasional nightmare about the terror that had consumed him that day.

He felt that same terror lurking at the edge of his mind now. Not only was someone out for Bones; by extension, they were after Lily too. His baby girl. She was too little to know how to fight back or defend herself. If faced with a kidnapper, Parker could fight back or yell for help. Lily felt so small and helpless. What was he going to do? He had to protect his little girl at all costs.

"We're going to work these cases because we're the best qualified, but I refuse to take chances with you and Lily." Booth's voice was deadly calm, his decision made and immovable. "You two will not go anywhere alone. There is to always be an FBI agent stationed at the door of the lab or somewhere in sight of it."

Bones nodded. "That seems very practical."

"I will move in with you and drive you to and from work until we catch this guy. If you don't like it, I don't care. I don't trust anyone else to keep you two safe. All of this is effective immediately."

He paused, waiting for Bones to respond. Her big blue eyes just studied him, making some sort of anthropological assessment or something. So he prodded her. "Understood?"

He couldn't help but be relieved at her response. "Understood."

A/N: The next chapter will be from Bones's perspective, but I wanted to get this out there. I know the show did a copycat early on, but this is going to be a bit more complicated than that. What'd you think? Like? Hate? Let me know by leaving a REVIEW! :)


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 17: Parents in the Living Room

Brennan sat on the couch next to Booth in a state of shock. It had been so long since she had to deal with a situation like this. Her brain had to struggle to kick into gear. One fact kept running through her head. She wasn't the only one in danger this time; Lily was also in danger. After a few moments, another fact seeped into her consciousness; she had agreed to let Booth move in with them until this was all over.

She eventually found her professional side. "When will we be getting the bodies?"

Booth gave her a skeptical look before responding. "Probably later this afternoon. You sure you're ok with all of this? I can ask Cullen to assign the case to someone else."

The mother side of her wanted to scream, "Yes! Please!" but the forensic anthropologist in her refused to allow her to. "No, I want to be the one to examine this case. We will both be better prepared if we are the ones uncovering this information. Besides, neither of us would be able to sit idly by while someone else solved the case."

Booth chuckled wryly. "You're probably right. But if at any point this gets to be too much for you, you tell me and I'll get it reassigned. I want to do what is best for you and Lily."

A little warm glow bubbled up inside her chest. "I know, Booth. And you are doing what is best for us. I appreciate you giving up your personal space to stay with us again."

"You sure you're Bones? Usually, I'd have to fight you tooth and nail to get you to agree to something like this." He smiled down at their daughter. "Wouldn't I, Lily? Your mommy is a very stubborn lady who doesn't like accepting help."

Brennan smiled at the little girl's sweet giggle. "I am not stubborn, I am logical. In most cases, it is logical for me to take care of myself. However, in this case, you are better equipped to insure not only my safety but, most importantly, Lily's safety. I have let my study of self-defense lapse since giving birth to Lily and, given the situation, I would feel much more comfortable having you around. When would you like to move your things over?"

#

That night, Brennan made her usual circuit of the house feeling inexplicably safer knowing that Booth was ensconced in the guest room right next door to Lily's room. Once she was sure the lights were all off and the alarm was set, she made her way up the stairs.

The door to Booth's room stood open a bit. Brennan glanced in to see Booth methodically putting away the clothes he had packed in his Army-issue duffle bag. He had insisted she and Lily go with him to his apartment after work and wait while he packed. The sparseness of his apartment made her a little sad for him. She would hazard a guess that he only came home to sleep or perhaps watch a little TV. The only signs that someone lived there were the water rings on the coffee table and the picture of Lily and Parker sitting next to his bedside table.

She watched as he put that picture next to the bed, smiling fondly down at it. It was then that she noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt. The sweatpants he had changed into after work hung low on his hips. Studying him, she absently noted that for a man of almost 40, he was in excellent physical shape. He did not have the exactly perfect abdominal muscles so prized by popular culture, but his lower torso was well-toned with only a light sprinkling of dark hair trailing from his navel into the waistband of his pants. She had always admired his physique but it was a bit more…potent seeing it here in her house.

It took a great deal of self-control, but Brennan managed to make her way to her room and crawl into bed. But the loneliness was almost unbearable.

When sleep finally came, it was haunted by nightmares. She tossed and turned; sweat plastering her hair to her forehead. Images flashed through her brain. Being buried alive. Epps waiting for her in her apartment. Booth drowning on that old ship. Hodgins bleeding to death. Heather Taffet's face as she was being led away by the bailiff. A mysterious shadow dragging Lily out of her arms.

Bones sat up, panting, tears streaming down her face. She tried to gain control of her breathing, but she couldn't. Still struggling to breathe, she threw off the covers and made her way out of her room and into Lily's. The moonlight streaming through the big bay window illuminated the room enough for her to see her daughter sleeping peacefully in her bed, her favorite doll clutched under her chin.

Shivering, Bones made her way downstairs. She wandered through the empty house until she reached the living room. After turning on every light in the room, she collapsed on the couch. She was just about to turn on the TV when she heard footsteps padding down the stairs.

Booth.

#

Booth tried to go to sleep. He really did. But he was plagued by nightmares. Him running towards the tiny explosion underground but not being able to get to Bones in time. Bones bleeding in his arms because Epps got to her before he could save her. Epps killing Parker in front of him. Teddy Parker being blown up. Water swooping in to drown him. Heather Taffet leering down at him as she buried everyone he loved. Lily and Bones being pulled away into shadows when he was trying to reach them, but not being able to.

He jerked awake, taking a second to realize where he was. A minute later, he heard someone rustling around downstairs. Instantly on alert, he crept down the stairs as quietly as possible. He was surprised and relieved to find that there wasn't an intruder; it was just Bones.

She was sitting on the couch looking like a lost, forlorn little girl. She wore a silk camisole and loose silk pants, but she had forgotten a robe, so she was shivering. Her hair fell in wild curls around her face, which was paler than usual. She looked up at him with haunted blue eyes.

She gave him a weak smile. "Were you finding it difficult to sleep also?"

Booth sighed and joined her on the couch, only inches separating his bare shoulder from hers. He rubbed his hands over his eyes. "Yeah. Nightmares. You?"

"I have not had nightmares since you…since I found out I was pregnant, but they seem to have resurfaced. I find them very disconcerting. I do not like to have dreams, good or bad." Bones's voice sounded thin and reedy. She really was shaken up.

He gave her a reassuring smile, looping his arm around the back of the couch. "I don't mind the good ones, but the bad ones are bitches. It used to be flashbacks from my sniper days. Now all the near misses come back to haunt me."

He couldn't hide his surprise when she curled up and leaned into his chest, her head settling in the crook of his arm. Her whole body shivered. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "The near misses are what caused my dreams as well. This case is bringing up reminders of how personal this job can get." She was silent for a moment. "It is worse now."

Booth nodded as much as her head tucked under his chin would allow. He was oddly comforted by the faintly floral scent of her hair. "Yeah, it is worse now. It's not just us anymore. There's this unknown person out there and they want to hurt you and our daughter. Lily's so little and helpless. I just want to wrap her up in cotton wool and lock her in a tower forever. Maybe put Parker up there with her for company. I hate the thought of her being hurt by anything."

"Normally I would say you're being irrational, but at the moment, I concur with you. Unfortunately, that's not how life works. All we can do is take every precaution and never let her out of our sight."

"We'll keep her safe, Bones. I promise."

"Thank you, Booth. For being such a good father and a good friend." Bones yawned, snuggling into his chest.

He nodded, but didn't say anything, sensing that she was about to doze off. One of them might as well get some sleep. Absently, he started to play with her hair, gently running his fingers through the silky strands. She felt perfect; like she was born to be right where she was. Part of him wanted to tell her that he might still have feelings for him, but he knew that they couldn't survive the sting of her rejection right now. They weren't strong enough yet. He wasn't strong enough yet. So he would wait. And hope.

This case was going to put a lot of strain on both of them, but he had to believe they would survive. Tomorrow, he knew they would have to read the notes and face the extent of the crazy they were up against. Seeing the bodies hadn't been that bad considering Bones was the one who wrote the scenes, but the notes added a whole other dimension to them.

Tonight, he knew he should carry her up to bed, but he couldn't bring himself to break the spell. Instead, he propped his feet up on the coffee table and rested his cheek on top of her head. Lulled by the gentle cadence of her breathing, he finally drifted off, undisturbed by dreams.

A/N: Well? What did you think? :) I may be slower to update this week because I'll be helping get stuff ready for my little brother's graduation, but I'll try to update at least every other day. Any guesses on who the killer is? How far do you think Booth and Bones should go under such stressful circumstances? Should Lily be aware of what's going on? If you have an opinion, let me know and leave a review!


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 18: Notes in the Lab

The next day, neither Booth nor Brennan said anything about their sleeping arrangements. They went about their morning preparations in silence only broken by Lily. When they got to the Jeffersonian, they went their separate ways; Bones took Lily to her office and he set up camp at a lab table Cam had produced for him the corner.

"Agent Booth!" One of the agents stationed at the doors of the forensics lab brought him out of his paperwork-induced stupor. "Here are the notes you asked Dr. Sweets to send over. Is there anything else you need?"

Booth took the folder the young agent held out. "No, thanks, Jensen."

Booth immediately pulled out the plastic incased papers. Predictably, they were written in the most generic font. The paper was standard, low-grade copy paper. No distinguishing marks marred the notes other than the ink. Still, he was sure his squints could get something off of them. What concerned him was the content of the notes.

_"They too had lived in dangerous days; they too knew the suffocating influence of orthodoxy and standardized thought. They weighed the compulsions for restrained speech and thought against the abuses of liberty. They chose liberty." I have been confined by fallible science for too long. I will rise again. Beware. _

The first note sounded a bit like some was trying to aggrandize themselves, make themselves the victims rather than the corpses they had attached the notes to. But there wasn't anything specific or personally threatening towards Bones. He moved to the second note.

_"__A man need never revenge himself, the body of his enemy will be brought to his own door__." But I do need revenge. I want to be the one to drag her body to my door, and those of her children too. The cold scientist's blood will flow hot in my hand as she and her children die. _

Jesus. The images created by the note made his blood run cold. He reread the note, searching for a clue. His brain caught on something. Children? Bones didn't have children. She had a child.

"Booth? Are you ok? You're white as a sheet," Cam's voice penetrated his consciousness.

He shook his head and pushed the note to her. Her sharp intake of breath told him that he wasn't the only one disturbed by the note's contents. "Well, that certainly explains the extra security measures. But are you sure they mean Dr. Brennan? Because she doesn't have children, just Lily. Unless…oh, no. It couldn't be."

Booth's blood pressure spiked at the fear in Cam's face. "What? Unless what, Cam?"

"Unless they mean Parker."

"Parker? He's not Bones's son. Why would they target him?"

Cam sighed. "Has Parker been anywhere with Brennan? Anywhere in public? Or with Lily?"

Booth let out a tortured groaned. "Yes, to both. Shit." He snatched up his phone, hitting the speed dial button for Rebecca's number as he took giant strides to get to Bones's office. There was no answer at Rebecca's. He immediately hit redial.

"Bones, we need to go. Leave Lily with Angela. We might have a situation." He didn't want to say more and cause her to freak out in front of Lily. Worry creased her brow, but she immediately gathered up Lily and a few of her toys and took her to Angela's office. By the time she returned, Booth had tried every number he had for Rebecca. No one at work had seen her and there was no answer on her cell or her home phone. He had managed to get a hold of Parker's school to find out that he was there, safely in class. He had asked them to keep Parker inside until they heard from him, just as a precaution.

"Booth, what is going on?" Brennan asked, almost having to jog to keep pace with Booth as he made his way to his SUV.

"It's not just you this psycho is after. It's Parker too. Whoever it is must have seen you with him at the park or something and assumed that he was yours." When they were in the car, Booth immediately flipped on his siren. "He's ok for now, but I can't get in touch with Rebecca."

He didn't explain more; he was too busy calling for a local LEO car to get to Rebecca's house. The 15-minute drive took him less than 10, but by the time they got there, the house was flanked by law enforcement vehicles, as well as a firetruck. A few seconds behind them, an ambulance pulled up.

"Shit." Booth threw open his door. Bones was hot on his tail, running to keep up with him. A DC cop stopped them at the door. "FBI. Let me in."

The young cop just shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir, but I've been ordered not to let you in."

Booth growled at the shorter man. "Look, kid. My son's mother lives here and I want to know what the hell is going on."

An older, more experienced cop stepped up behind the trembling officer. "I understand your frustration, Agent Booth, but I thought it best you not see the scene inside." The man, whose nametag identified him as Capt. Garnett, put his hand on Booth's shoulder sympathetically and led him and Bones away from the door. "We're still securing the crime scene, but my officers entered the house to find Ms. Stinson dead in the backyard. Neighbors smelled smoke about a few hours ago, but didn't report a problem until less than an hour before you called. We arrived on scene soon after to find that…"

"To find what?" Booth demanded.

"That Ms. Stinson had been burned to death," the man said, aging before their eyes. "Worst thing I've ever seen."

Brennan grabbed his hand and squeezed. He clung to the contact as his brain went reeling. He should have known to protect Parker and Rebecca too. He should have gotten the notes sooner. He should have…

"Could you please have her body transferred to the Jeffersonian?" He heard Bones asking. "This is most likely part of an…of an ongoing investigation being conducted by the FBI."

Booth locked his fingers with hers. He knew it needed to be done, but he couldn't think. The mother of his son was dead because of him. "Shouldn't you get the squint squad out here?" he asked quietly.

Brennan shook her head. "Neither of us needs to see this scene. I already know which case the murderer intended to copy and we're not likely to find anything specific."

He was still in shock as she led him to sit on the porch. "Jesus, Bones. Why didn't I get here sooner? Why didn't I think to have someone watching out for them?"

#

The pain and self-flagellation she heard in Booth's voice tore at Brennan's heart. He always took so much on himself. The weight of the world pressed down on his shoulders, even as he fought back sobs. She let him sit for a minute, carefully formulating what she would say. Then she took her free hand and cupped his slightly stubbled cheek, forcing him to look her in the eyes. The sadness and the guilt almost made her cry too, but she had to be the strong one this time.

"You listen to me, Seeley Booth," she said, her voice soft, but stern. "There was absolutely no way you could have known this would happen. You can't predict everything or know what some deranged person is plotting. It is logically impossible. I am truly, truly sorry that this happened, but it is _not your fault_. The only fault here lies with the bastard who is doing this to people. And I won't have you blaming yourself. Understood?"

Booth took a few shuddery breaths before he reluctantly nodded. "You're right, Bones. You're always right."

"Not always," she said, regret tingeing her voice as she caressed his face.

Pressing a small kiss into the palm of her hand, Booth gave her a half-smile. "Thanks, Bones. I'm glad you're here."

"We are partners, Booth. I wouldn't be anywhere else." She let her hand drop from his cheek, immediately missing the warmth and the rough texture. "What would you like to do about Parker?"

Booth shook his head. "God, Parker. What am I going to tell him, Bones? He's so young. It will kill him to lose his mom, especially like this."

"He is his father's son, Booth. I have never met a stronger little boy. He will be sad for a long time and the pain will never completely go away, but he will make it through this. So will you."

"I hate to take him out of school, but I don't want to take any chances. Would it be ok if I brought him back to the lab?"

"Of course it is, Booth. Parker is always welcome at the lab. We will just make sure to keep him away from the platform and the examination rooms. He and Lily can play in my office."

"Will…will you be there with me when I tell him?" Booth's voice had a pleading note to it. He was asking for help.

Brennan nodded. "If that is what you want. It will be comforting for Parker to know that he still has a support system in spite of his loss."

She knew what it was like to lose someone and be left alone. She loved Parker and didn't want him to ever experience that feeling.

Yesterday, she had been scared of this unknown adversary and worried. Today, she was terrified. Rebecca's death, most likely laid out in a perfect replica of a ritualistic death ceremony she had described in her last book, made everything more tangible and real. But she couldn't give in to the terror. There was a little girl who depended on her for everything, a man who was probably feeling like his world was spinning out of control, and now a little boy who would need someone to hold him as he grieved for his mother.

There was no time for fear today. There was only time for strength.

A/N: I'm sorry, but someone close to them had to die and Rebecca is the most expendable. The threat needed to become more than just some ephemeral enemy, killing strangers. How should Parker react? How much should Booth beat himself up about it? What should Bones's reaction be to this new twist?


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 19: Tears on the Bench

Parker Booth couldn't decide whether to be excited to get out of school early or to be worried. At recess, his teacher had made him stay inside and help out in the library. She had tried to make it sound like a special honor, but something didn't seem quite right to him. Especially now that his daddy was here to pick him up. Maybe he was going to get to hang out with Daddy, and Lily, and Dr. Bones. He liked school, but he would rather be with them than in class.

Daddy and Dr. Bones were standing in front of the main office waiting for him. Their faces looked sad, like the kind of sad grown-ups try to hide from kids. But Parker always saw it. That's how his mommy had looked when his daddy had to have surgery and when his pet turtle got run over. Getting more worried, he ran up to them, throwing his arms around both of their waists since he couldn't decide who to hug first.

"Hey, buddy," his daddy said, his voice soft and a little funny sounding, like he had something caught in his throat. The arm Daddy wrapped around his shoulders squeezed him hard. Dr. Bones did the same thing.

He knew they probably wanted him to not notice that something was wrong, but he couldn't help it. He knew Daddy would try to talk around the problem, not really telling him what was wrong, so he looked up at Dr. Bones instead. "What's wrong, Dr. Bones? Why are you and Daddy so sad?"

Daddy and Bones exchanged one of their looks where they talked with their eyes before taking his hands and leading him out of the school. Once the three of them were settled on the bench in front of the school, him on his daddy's lap, holding on to Dr. Bones's hand, his daddy began to talk.

"Buddy, you know how…how bad things sometimes happen?" Frowning, Parker nodded. "And how there are bad people who do bad things to other people?"

Again, Parker nodded. "Yeah, and it's your job to catch those bad people. And Dr. Bones helps you."

Daddy gave him a weak smile. "That's right, bud. Well, this morning…" Daddy took a deep breath, like his chest hurt. "This morning something…something bad happened."

When his daddy didn't talk for a minute, Parker's mind began to race. "Daddy, did something bad happen to Lily? Is that why she's not here?"

Daddy's eyes got really big, but he quickly shook his head. "No, no, Lily's ok, she's fine. She's back at the lab with Ms. Angela. No, buddy. Something bad happened…happened to your mommy."

He tightened his hold on Dr. Bones's hands. She looked so sad. "Is she in the hospital? Did she have to have surgery like you did, Daddy? 'Cause that was real scary."

Daddy pulled him a little closer. His eyes were the saddest Parker had ever seen anyone's eyes be. "Parker, this morning a very bad person…" Daddy took a shuddery breath. "Killed your mommy."

Parker's mind went blank. "Mommy's dead?" He looked at Dr. Bones for confirmation.

"Yes, Parker. I'm so sorry." She leaned over to wrap him in a hug. Tears stung Parker's eyes. He didn't want to cry. Big boys weren't supposed to cry. But then he felt his daddy crying a little. So, he let go. He didn't care about being a big boy. His mommy was dead and he needed to cry.

#

Brennan didn't now how long they sat there, a tangle of arms and tears. Her heart broke for the little boy. She knew how he felt and there was no other way to react but with helpless tears. But eventually, his tears subsided. His head was still nestled against her shoulder. Somehow, he had moved to where he was more in her lap than Booth's, with Booth's arm wrapped around both of them.

"What'll happen to me now?" Parker's voice sounded so tiny and lost.

Booth glanced up at her, a questioning look in his eyes. They hadn't talked about it, but she knew that Parker would be moving in with them immediately. Not only was it the safest place for him to be and the most practical since Booth was his legal guardian, but being around Lily would be the perfect distraction. "You'll come and stay with your daddy and me and Lily."

"Daddy lives with you now?" Parker looked confused by this piece of news. She had forgotten they hadn't had time to tell Parker about the temporary arrangement.

Booth stepped in on this one. "Yeah, just for a little while. We'll talk more about that later. But all you need to know is that wherever I live, you live now. Got it?"

Parker nodded. "Got it."

"Why don't we head back to the lab?" Brennan suggested. "I know of a certain little sister who will be thrilled to see you. It would be a big help if you could play with her for a little while so your dad and I can get some work done. Are you up for that?"

"Yeah," Parker said, trying to sound enthusiastic, a little light returning to his eyes. "I think I need to see Lily anyways. She always makes me feel better."

Booth pressed a kiss into Parker's gold curls. "Me too, buddy. She's good at making anyone feel better."

#

Booth knew he should be working. But he couldn't tear himself away from his spot watching his children. Parker was understandably subdued, but he seemed content playing with Lily. For the first time all day, he felt a measure of peace. The troubles of the outside world didn't infiltrate the bubble of childhood. A psycho was out there, killing people, getting closer and closer to his family. He'd killed Rebecca. He was after Brennan and Parker and sweet, innocent little Lily.

But even in the presence of innocence, Booth couldn't escape the niggling guilt. Intellectually, he knew that he couldn't have known that Rebecca would be targeted. He couldn't have saved her. But he still felt guilty. His son's mother had been killed because of him. Because of his job. Because of…because of his relationship with Bones. The thought brought his mind to a crashing halt.

He couldn't think that. He couldn't regret his relationship with Bones. It had brought him Lily. And Bones. He couldn't change what happened to Rebecca. No amount of guilt could make that happen.

"Daddy?" Parker's voice broke through the wall of thoughts.

"What's up, bud?"

Parker looked up at him with old, wise eyes. "You and Dr. Bones are going to catch the bad guy right? The one that…that killed Mommy?"

Booth refused to lie to his son and he wasn't going to start now. "Of course we are, little man."

And he believed they would. Booth wasn't about to let something happen to either of these precious children or the woman working out in that lab, feverishly trying to find the elusive clue that would help keep their family safe.

A/N: Slightly filler, but more family moments to come. What did you think? Leave a review? This is so close to being my most reviewed story ever! Only...43 more to go to beat the record!


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 20: Siblings away from the Danger Zone

"Daddy? How come you're living with Dr. Bones and Lily now?"

Booth was in the middle of hauling Parker's rather heavy suitcase full of toys and clothes up the stairs to the one remaining guestroom. He and Bones had both agreed that it was more important to get the kids home than to stay at work as late as they had been. Bones was down in the kitchen cooking up homemade mac and cheese while Lily played with the brightly colored refrigerator magnets, one of her favorite pastimes at the moment.

Booth waited until he set down the suitcase before answering his son. "That's something that we need to talk about, buddy." He sat down on top of the fluffy feather comforter of the full-sized bed and patted the spot next to him. Parker scrambled up, looking up at him intently. Booth sighed. "Ok, I'm going to just come out and say this. You know the bad man that…that killed Mommy? Well, he's a really, really bad man. He's been killing people and leaving notes with them threatening Dr. Bones and you and Lily."

Parker frowned. "What's threatening mean, Daddy?"

"It means he says that he's going to do bad things if we don't find him. So, I've moved in here to help protect them. I was going over to talk to your mommy about you coming to stay with us to keep you safe to when I found out what happened to her."

"Is that why there were those men in suits at the lab and in the car outside?"

Booth nodded. "Yup. Those are FBI agents who are helping me keep you guys safe. And until we catch this guy, there are some very serious rules you're going to need to follow, ok?"

"I'm good at following rules," Parker replied.

Booth chuckled. "When you want to be. In this case, you have to be good. The most important is to stay close to me or Dr. Bones at all times. You won't be able to go to the park or anything for a while. And we're going to talk to your teacher and get your homework for the next few weeks, so you won't get behind in school. Dr. Bones will help teach you or Dr. Hodgins or Mr. Keenan."

Parker's eyes lit up a little. "No school? Neat!"

Booth ruffled Parker's hair affectionately. He was definitely his son. "You still have to do the work. You just don't have to sit through the classes. It also means you won't get to see your friends for a while either."

Parker's face fell a little, but not much. "But I'll get to see you and Lily and Dr. Bones and the squints every day. Seeing my family every day is way cooler than seeing my friends."

"We probably won't be going out much, but if we do, you need to remember not to talk to any strangers. And if a stranger gets too close to you or Lily and Bones and I aren't around, you need to scream and yell and get Lily out of there, ok?"

Parker nodded solemnly. "Ok, Daddy… Can I go play with Lily now?"

"Go ahead. I'll unpack this stuff for you. Come get me when dinner's ready." Booth sat and watched his son run out of the room. With a precision and efficiency left over from his days as a Ranger, Booth unpacked the suitcase. The room was a little formal, but the advent of toys and a small stack of books and comics beside the bed softened the blue décor. Satisfied that, for the moment, the room was organized, he made his waay downstairs to check on his family.

"Dada! Come pay wif me!" Lily demanded the second her father set foot in the kitchen. "Peeeas!

Booth smiled at his daughter and crouched down next to her. She was playing with the letters, making different shapes and arrangements since she didn't know how to read yet. "That's very pretty, Lily-bit. Want me to show you words?"

"Yesss!" Lily clapped her hands in excitement. Booth arranged the letters into the three most important words in his life. As he did that, he looked over his shoulder at Bones and Parker. Parker was sitting on one of the bar stools, happily tearing apart a head of lettuce. Across the counter from him, Bones was moving back and forth between the stove and the sink in a gracefully domestic dance, washing tomatoes and chopping basil.

"What dat?" Lily asked, reclaiming her father's attention. Lily's little finger pointed to the letters he had arranged to spell her name.

"That's your name, princess. L-i-l-y. Lily."

Lily carefully pointed to each letter, repeating their names proudly. "Dat me, Dada."

"It sure is, Lily-bit. Looks like we've got another genius on our hands, Bones. Not even two and she's already learning how to spell her name," Booth remarked.

"It is perfectly logical that our child would be highly intelligent, Booth. Between your instinctual knowledge and my academic intellect, she is genetically predisposed to have a more evolved intelligence than other children her age." Bones had switched into her squint voice because she was distracted by her cooking.

"Who name dat, Dada?" Lily asked, pointing to the next word on the fridge.

"That's Parker's name. P-a-r-k-e-r. That's your big brother's name."

"Bubba's name bigger than Lily's," Lily observed, frowning a little.

Booth laughed. "That's because he's the big brother and you're the baby sister."

"Oh." She accepted the explanation. "Dat Mama name?"

"Wow, you are smart, Lily-bit. That's what Daddy calls Mommy. B-o-n-e-s. Bones."

"Why Bones? Her name Mama." The pucker between Lily's little brows was identical to her mother's.

"That's what you call her. But to me, she's Bones because she likes to play with bones at work. Isn't that right, Bones?" He smiled at his partner over his shoulder.

"I don't 'play' with bones, Booth. I study them. Work with them. Analyze them." She sniffed a little, pretending to be offended.

"Yeah, but you look like you have a lot of fun when you're studying the bones," Parker chimed in. "You look like I do when I'm reading comic books or playing video games."

"Ha!" Booth grinned at her in triumph. Bones just rolled her eyes.

"Booth, help Lily wash her hands, please. Dinner is ready."

#

Brennan sat at her desk later that night, trying to work. Lily was already asleep, but Booth and Parker were still awake. They were watching some movie about Booth's favorite comic book hero, a man who wore extremely tight green spandex and a ring that glowed. They had invited her to join them, but she had declined because she needed to work on her novel. Unfortunately, she could not focus on the life of Kathy Reichs because her own life kept invading her brain.

She used to cherish her solitude, the perfect order to her life. But she found that she valued this evening more than she ever did her solitude. Having dinner with Booth and Parker carrying on a comfortable conversation and Lily chattering her own thoughts, was much more enjoyable than eating a solitary meal of questionable origins in between making notes and identifying bodies. She knew it was wrong to think this way with Rebecca so recently deceased, but they had fallen into the behavior consistent with that of a familial nuclear unit quite easily.

As much as she wanted to solve this case and remove the threat of danger from her and the children, she would feel a great sense of loss when Parker and Booth moved out. Before she could become too melancholy, a small knock brought her back to the real world.

"Dr. Bones?" Parker stood in the doorway, clad in his favorite Green Lantern pajamas. "Will you come and help Daddy tuck me in?"

She smiled at the little boy. "I would be honored to, Parker."

Watching how tenderly Booth tucked in his son melted Brennan's heart. He was such a good father. She knew he must be grieving the loss of his former lover, but after their interlude on the bench, he hadn't betrayed any emotion that might distress his son. When Booth stepped back from the bed, she stepped forward to smooth back Parker's hair and give him a soft kiss on the forehead. "Good night, Parker. If you need anything, your father and I are just down the hall."

She and Booth left the room together, Booth flipping off the light, but leaving the door cracked so that the light from the hallway still leaked into the room.

Half way down the hall, Booth collapsed against the wall. "God, Bones. This is going down as one of the most exhausting days ever. If feels like it's been a week since we woke up this morning instead of just 18 hours."

"You have behaved quite admirably today, Seeley Booth." She leaned against the wall next to him, turning her head to the side so she could study his well-formed profile. "Most men would have crumbled or at least been distracted by such events, but not you. You reacted impeccably and provided your son with the stability he needed to deal with the loss of his mother."

Booth hung his head. "Yeah, but he shouldn't have had to lose his mother. Not at his age."

She sighed. "We cannot control life, Booth. Things happen. What matters is how we proceed in the face of disaster. You proved to be a strong man and a loving, compassionate father. Watching you today made me proud that you are the father of my daughter."

Booth turned his head and Brennan found herself lost in his eyes. Before she knew what she was doing, she leaned forward. At first, she intended to give him a real kiss, but something stopped her. They weren't quite ready for that. Instead, her hand cupping his cheek, she pressed her lips beside the corner of his mouth where his dimple would be if he had been smiling.

His skin felt wonderfully warm against her lips and fingers. Even after the long day, she could still smell the light hint of aftershave that lingered on his cheeks. The stubble that had grown since that morning was softly bristly and oddly erotic against her palm.

Before she could lose control of herself or think too much, she pulled away. "Good night, Booth."

She felt his eyes following her as she walked quickly to her bedroom. Right before she shut the door, she heard his husky, stunned reply. "Good night, Bones."

A/N: So...what'd ya think ;) ? More grief, killer/stalker stuff will come, but I felt this needed to happen. Got an opinion? Leave a review, please!


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! Sorry it's taken so long to update, but graduation madness is finally over. And I'm pretty sure you're gonna love this chapter (plus its the longest one so far) ;) All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 21: Truth in the House

The funeral exhausted Booth. Being the former lover of the deceased was a new role for him. Part of him was grieving the loss of the mother of his son, but at the same time, he was benefiting from her death. There would be no more battles over when he got to see Parker. No more missed school events or exclusion from everyday events.

Now that the initial shock of the situation had worn off, he couldn't be more than a little sad. Becca had been a big part of his life for a long time. At one point he had been willing to marry her. But for the duration of their son's life, she had made his life as difficult as possible. She delighted in making him to dance to her tune; making promises and breaking them or limiting his access to Parker for ridiculous reasons.

The more he processed her death, the less grief he felt. All that remained was a sadness that his son had lost his mother at such an early age. But even then, he knew Parker wouldn't be lacking in maternal affection. Whatever her feelings for him might be, Bones loved his son like her own. From the minute they had picked Parker up and told him about Rebecca, Bones had stepped up and made sure life was as easy and routine for Parker as possible.

He was proud of his little boy. He shed a few tears at the graveside, but for the most part he was a stoic little soldier. Even with Rebecca's mother wailing, Parker had stayed strong. Still, Booth was grateful that Bones was there as added support.

At the wake, held in the parlor of the small church Rebecca's parents attended, Eileen begged Booth to allow Parker to come with her and Rebecca's father, but he refused.

"I'm sorry, Eileen, but I think it's better for Parker to come home with Dr. Brennan and myself. He needs consistency and familiarity," Booth explained patiently.

Eileen swelled up like an overly red pustule. "You think it would be better for my grandson to go with you and that…woman and be exposed to an unwholesome environment."

"Excuse me? Unwholesome environment?" Booth raised his eyebrows in surprise. As far as he knew, Eileen didn't know anything about his life.

"Yes. You're…_living in sin_ with that scientist woman. It is not healthy for Parker to be exposed to such a…liberal living situation. My daughter was a good woman and I know she wouldn't want her son to be influenced by a woman of such low moral character." Eileen sent a withering look over to where Bones sat with Parker, quietly discussing the video game he was playing.

She must have felt the two people watching them and she looked up. Seeing Booth's stormy expression, Brennan got up and made her way over. "Is everything alright?"

"I just felt it my duty as Parker's grandmother to express my concern at his current living situation. I do not feel that it is acceptable for him to be exposed to the environment that Seeley is currently living in," Eileen said primly, sniffing for effect.

That classic Bones frown wrinkled her brow. "You object to your grandson living in a what most people would consider a fairly standard nuclear family unit?"

Eileen gasped. "There is nothing standard about an unmarried man and woman living together with young children."

"But, aside from the legal binding of marriage, is Parker's current living situation not similar to what is considered a family unit? He is living in a house, in a nice neighborhood, with his baby sister and two adults, a male and a female, who love him and provide him with all of the care and affection and basic needs required by a boy his age?"

Eileen continued to bluster. "I want my grandson to be raised with good Catholic morals and I don't think that seeing his father living with a woman he is not married to is providing him with a good example. Especially a woman with whom he has a child."

"I do not understand. I'll admit that I was not well acquainted with your daughter, but from what I know, she lived with men she was not married to and allowed even more of them to move in and out of Parker's life. And she was not married to Parker's father, by her own choice. I understand your concern for Parker's upbringing, but I can assure you that Seeley and I are providing him with a stable home environment."

Eileen glared up at Bones, which caused Booth's hackles to rise a bit. "My daughter was an independent woman who was too good for a man who valued his job more than his family. She wanted to have a true family. She was a good mother and made sure that Parker had men in his life that he could look up to. And at least she had the decency to allow Seeley to know about his child. She knew her priorities as a mother, unlike some people."

The tether on Booth's temper snapped. "That is enough," he snarled. "I don't care what you try to say about me, but you will not talk to her like that. Bones is the best mother I have ever seen. And you can tell yourself all of that bullshit about Rebecca, but she was a mediocre mother at best. She was always too concerned with her own life and her own drama to do what was best for Parker. And yeah, Bones might not have told me about Lily right away, but as soon as she did, she did what Rebecca was too bitchy to. She gave me unrestricted access to my daughter because she knew that what was best for her child was for her to know her father. And there is nothing, _nothing_ more important to me than my family. So, if you want to be able to see Parker, I suggest you back the hell off, Eileen."

Not waiting for Eileen to respond, Booth grabbed Bones's hand and led her over to get Parker and leave the wake.

#

Brennan was more unsettled by the encounter with Rebecca's mother than she wanted to admit. It didn't help that Booth brooded all the way back to her house, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. Parker was uncharacteristically silent on the ride home, but as soon as he entered the house, he ran towards the sound of Lily and Angela playing in the living room.

Temperance gave her best friend a tired smile as she came into the hall to meet them.

"How did it go?" Angela asked sympathetically.

Brennan shook her head. "It went…as well as could be expected." Booth brushed past them, stomping up the stairs.

Angela raised her eyebrows. "That well huh? Sweetie, what happened?"

Sighing, Brennan shrugged. "There was a…confrontation with Rebecca's mother. She insinuated that Booth and I were not fit caretakers for Parker, especially me, and Booth lost his temper. It was a very odd encounter. I did not expect Booth to defend me so vehemently."

"Of course he did, Bren. He's Booth. He'll always defend you."

Brennan shook her head. "I did not deserve it. Everything she said was factually accurate. I hurt Booth by keeping his daughter from him. I am a worse mother than Rebecca. I don't know how I will act as a mother figure to a grieving little boy. I just discerned how to be a mother to a toddler. But I can't let them down. Especially not Booth."

Angela stood there, studying her with her all-seeing eyes, eyes that probed past all of Brennan's defenses, just like they always did. "Sweetie, I know this is scary, but have you told Booth how you feel? That you love him?"

Brennan's shoulders sagged in defeat. She knew she couldn't credibly deny her friend's accusations. "No. I…I am afraid he will not return my sentiments."

Angela chuckled. "Bren, that man has adored you from the moment he laid eyes on you. Why else would he be living with you and defending you against insult and bodily harm? Tell him. Tonight. After the kids go to bed, find some romantic way to tell him. Show him that you're ready for a relationship. Because you are. Despite all of this mess with the crazy killer and the bitchy grandma, you're ready."

Brennan nodded. She was ready…She was ready?

#

Booth loved his children, but he was glad when they went to bed that night. He was mentally exhausted. Bones had asked if he could put the kids to bed, then stop by her room for a quick word about the case before he went to bed. She had excused herself to her room soon after dinner, pleading a headache and fatigue. Never once in all of the time he had known her, with the exception of that bout of chicken pox, to admit to any sort of physical weakness. Still, it had been a pretty rough few days, so he hadn't thought much of it.

It took a little while, but finally, Lily went to sleep. Sighing, Booth scrubbed his palm over his head in a gesture of exhaustion and padded in his bare feet down the hall to Bones's room. There was a faint hint of light under the door, so he knocked.

"Come in!" Bones called from inside, her voice sounding a little strange. Soft music wafted from the iPod dock in the corner, some sort of peaceful jazz or something like that. The room was darkened except for the soft light of candles and one muted lamp, but Booth could see red arrows pointing their way towards the master bathroom. What the hell? This looked like a scene set for…seduction, not a quick discussion about a case. A buried part of him gave a little flip-flop of hope, but he wouldn't let it go until he figured out what was going on here.

Intrigued, Booth followed the arrows. The lighting in the bathroom was similar to that of the bedroom, except for an intense congregation of candles around the bathtub. The brighter light around the ornate tub illuminated a heart-stopping scene. Bones was reclining in the tub, surrounded by mountains of luxurious bubbles, a seductive, mysterious scent of rose and lavender perfuming the moist air around her. The candlelight glinted off of the pearls of water on her skin. Her hair had been swept up to reveal the exquisitely distracting curve of her neck. The bubbles hid the most distracting parts, but he was very aware of how ephemeral that cover was.

His eyes finally made it up to her face. The expression he saw there tugged at his heart. He could tell that she was trying to look relaxed and seductive, but the vulnerable look in her big blue eyes completely negated any façade she tried to put up. Which was even more seductive to him.

"Bo-" his voice sounded strangled, so he cleared his throat. "Bones? What…what's going on?" He tore his gaze away from her, looking up at the ceiling, trying to control the…uplifting effect she was having on him.

"I…I would think that it would be obvious. I tried to make it so. I…I find myself lacking the courage to…to say what I need to say. And I've always heard that actions speak louder than words, so I decided to let my actions speak for me…And Angela said I should do this in a romantic setting, which from what I gleaned from my research implies candles and amenities such as a bubble bath." Booth fought back a smile at her rambling. He knew she had to be nervous, but the rambling let him know exactly how nervous she really was.

"Well, ya see, Bones. This situation could mean a couple different things." He shuffled his feet back and forth sheepishly.

Her face fell. "Oh. I had not thought of that. What are these meanings?"

Booth schooled his face into a solemn, contemplative expression. "Hmm…meaning number one is fairly straight forward. When a woman does something like this, it could mean that she wants to seduce a man and have her wicked way with him. Is that what you meant?"

It was all Booth could do not to kiss away the furrow between her brows. "No, that is not my exact meaning." His shoulders almost sagged in relief. He knew he wouldn't have the strength to deny her if she had intended to just seduce him, but he wanted more than that. He wanted it all. And he was praying she did too.

"Well, that leaves only one other meaning." He moved to sit next to the tub on the cool tile floor, facing her. "When a woman plans something like this, it usually implies that she had some pretty strong feelings for a man and she's scared to verbalize those feelings. Sound about right?" Gulping, Bones nodded. That little spark of hope flared into a full blaze. But he needed her to say it. After all of these years, he needed to hear the words. "You gotta help me out here, Bones. I can't read your mind."

Bones took a deep breath, causing her breasts to rise temptingly in the tub, the bubbles just barely shielding her nipples. "I…After a thorough examination of my personal reactions to you, I have determined that I have feelings that can only be properly identified as what most people recognize as…as love."

Booth held back a grin, wanting to prod her just a bit more. "And in English that would mean?"

She rolled her eyes in defeat. "I love you, Seeley Booth. I am in love with you and have been for quite some time."

He wanted to jump up and dance a jig; swirl her around in a circle and kiss her silly. He had to fight back the urge to shout with joy. Instead, he just let a slow smile split his face and didn't say a word, drinking in the moment.

A/N:...Review! :D


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! So...smut warning ahead. Just saying. Another warning: this is my first attempt at writing smut. I've read a lot of it, but never written a full-on smut scene. It's practice for the romance novel I'm about to start writing. All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 22: Lovers in the Bathroom

Brennan sat there, trembling despite the warmth of the bath. She had just confessed her love to Seeley Booth, the father of her child and the only man who had ever inspired those feelings in her and all he could do was sit there and smile at her. After several minutes with the only sound coming from the music in the other room, she couldn't take the silence.

"Booth, last time I checked, it was customary for a man to respond in some way when a woman declares these feelings for him!" she said in frustration, splashing him a little.

Booth laughed, his eyes looking like pools of her favorite melted chocolate. "Sorry, Bones. But if you'll remember, I said it first last time, so I'm just savoring the moment." He reached out to cup her cheek, his palm warm and tender against her flushed skin. "I love you too. I never really stopped. In spite of everything, I'm still that guy, Bones. I knew from the start that we were meant for each other. We just took the long way around."

"Is it…was this a poor choice as far as timing goes? I know it is not exactly ideal to make such confessions given the current circumstances, but I felt it was necessary to make sure both parties had all pertinent information." She lowered her gaze nervously, feeling a little guilty. It seemed selfish to want happiness when a murderer was threatening their children- how easy it was to think of _both_ children as theirs- and when they had just buried Parker's mother that morning.

Booth tilted her face up, his eyes full of compassion and passion. "Bones, there is never a bad time to say what's in your heart. If anything, now is the best time, because situations like we're in remind us that we need to make every day count. I lost two years with you; I don't want to lose even another hour."

Still cupping her face, Booth stretched over the edge of the bathtub, obviously intent on kissing her. Before his lips even touched hers, tingles rippled through her body. His breath was hot against her skin and the moment his lips settled against hers, her body went up in flames. She brought a hand up to cup the back of his neck, locking his lips into place. Moaning voluptuously, she ran her fingers through the silky hair at the base of his neck.

She felt Booth smile against her lips, his tongue darting in and out of her mouth for a few luxurious minutes. Despite her firm grip, he eventually pulled away and stood up.

Brennan was only mildly surprised that her breathing was rapid and uneven. She was more aroused than she had been in two years. And all Booth was doing was grinning down at her. Until he gripped the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it up and over his head, his eyes never leaving her.

"For a man of your age, your physique is surprisingly well-shaped," she heard herself murmur, drinking in the sight of his very appealing torso.

He chuckled, a husky sound, darkened by the lust that filled his eyes. "Thanks, Bones. You're too well-shaped for words." His gaze still devouring her, just as hers was devouring him, he unbuttoned his jeans and shoved them, along with his Scooby-Doo boxer shorts to the floor and stepped out of them. It was quite…obvious that she had the same effect on him that he had on her.

"Would you like me to leave the tub or will you be joining me?" she asked, surprised at her own boldness.

A wicked gleam appeared in Booth's eyes. "Scoot up." She immediately did as he ordered and he stepped into the tub and settled himself behind her. His arousal was even more apparent when it was pressed against her back, throbbing to the same beat of anticipation that her own blood had fallen into. She couldn't contain a gasp at how wonderful it felt to be surrounded by all of his hot, intriguing maleness.

"Just lean back and relax," he whispered against her neck where he was trailing hot, damp kisses. She rolled her head to the side to allow him better access.

"You know it is not in my nature to relax when there is new information to be gathered," she protested weakly.

Booth shook his head. "Uh-uh. My turn to gather information. All you have to do is enjoy."

To emphasize his point, she felt his tongue tracing the delicate curve of her ear. While his tongue was occupied, his hand slowly slid along her side, brushing her slightly imperfect breasts before continuing downward until it slipped between her thighs, which immediately parted to give his hand unrestricted access to its resting place.

His clever, clever fingers wasted no time in finding their way inside her. A mixture between a moan and a gasp echoed through the bathroom. Her breathing became even more erratic and she pressed her back into his chest, her hips unconsciously moving in the rhythm set by his fingers. "God, you're so hot, Bones. You ruined me for all other women." His breath came in pants. "I love how receptive you are. I've had so many fantasies of doing this to you over the years. Mmm…that's it, baby. Just let go."

Bones whimpered. "Please, Booth. I want you inside me." She could feel her climax building, and with it, her control slipping away.

"Not tonight, Bones." He gently nipped the sweet curve of her shoulder, then, soothed it, the laving of his tongue softening the bite. "You've given me so many gifts over the past few months, let me give this back to you."

The sweetness of his words, the love in his voice, and the insistence of his finger pushed her over the edge. Turning her head, she pressed her lips to his in a consuming kiss that absorbed her cries before she collapsed against him.

It took her a few minutes to regain control of her faculties, but one of the first things she noticed was that she wasn't the only one satisfied by their little encounter. Booth was just as dazed and…sated as she was.

"I love you, Booth," she said softly, bringing one of his hands up to her lips to kiss.

Booth kissed the delicate spot behind her ear. "I love you too, Bones. More than you'll ever know." They sat there in silence for a few moments, just enjoying the intimacy that surrounded them. "Think we should get out of the tub?" he asked idly, glancing down at her.

Brennan sighed. She had never felt so languid in her life. "I don't think I can move," she confessed. It was a delicious feeling. One that she hoped to experience with considerable frequency.

Booth eased his way out from behind her and stepped out of the tub. He reached for one of the fluffy towels she had set on the counter and (in a move she regretted) wrapped it around his lean waist. Instead of grabbing the other towel, he shocked her by leaning over and scooping her out of the tub. She let out a gasp of laughter. "Booth! Stop! You'll hurt your back. Put me down!"

But Booth didn't put her down until they reached her bed. Adeptly juggling her, Booth pulled back the covers and gently laid her on the sheets.

#

Bones settled against the fluffy down pillows like an angel settling into a cloud. She never ceased to take his breath away. Conscious of the cool air in the bedroom, Booth reluctantly pulled the sheets and comforter over Bones. Then, he returned to the bathroom and gathered up his clothes.

He longed to stay with every part of his being, but he wasn't sure what the protocol was for a situation like this. They had two young children sleeping down the hall. And on top of that, they hadn't really made love. If he stayed, he would be tempted to take it all the way, which, despite what had happened in the tub, they weren't quite ready for.

He was halfway to the door when Bones stopped him with a single word. "Stay."

He looked back. Her eyes were still dreamy and hazy from the killer climax she'd had in the tub. He'd never seen a woman respond so easily to his touch. It'd been enough to push him over the edge himself. God, he loved her. He couldn't resist the opportunity to sleep with her in his arms.

"Only if we have some clothes on," he conceded. She must have felt the same way he did about fully consummating their relationship, because she nodded in agreement. In one of the most difficult moves he'd ever made, Booth tossed his well-worn t-shirt to her and watched as she slid it over her head, shielding those breasts he longed to taste. Groaning, he slipped his boxers on and prayed to any saint who would listen for the strength to do what he knew was right.

Settling into the bed and pulling Bones into his arms made all of the effort worth it. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. "This is real, isn't it?" he whispered. "Not some tumor induced dream or something like that?"

Bones pressed a kiss to his bare chest. "It is quite real." She sighed and snuggled closer, burrowing her nose in his chest. "I realize that we are not quite ready for complete intercourse, but I think we will be soon. We've wasted too much time already."

She was so blunt, but that was one of her best qualities. "I love you, Bones."

"I love you too, Booth. So much." With a final happy sigh, she drifted off to sleep. After making sure his arms were securely around her, he pressed one last kiss into her hair and joined her.

A/N: So, how'd I do? Good? Bad? Should I show the morning after or get straight into the next plot point? Got an opinion? REVIEW!


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! So...smut warning ahead. Just saying. Kind of a filler, but oh well. All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 23: Mommy and Daddy in the House

Brennan slowly surfaced from sleep the next morning. Part of her thought that the previous night was all an erotic dream. But here she was, with Booth's arms around her. This should have felt a little awkward. She and her partner- the father of her daughter- had engaged in extremely arousing and satisfying foreplay in the bathtub and then slept quite platonically together in her bed, while two children slept down the hall. Except that this was Boothand she had finally, _finally_ admitted that she loved him. She was relieved and almost completely content. There was no room for awkward.

She glanced over Booth's head at the clock. It read 6:05. She mentally did the math. The kids wouldn't be awake for at least another 30-45 minutes. That left just enough time for another of her fantasies to be fulfilled.

Carefully, she slid out from under Booth's sleep heavy arm. She took another moment to marvel at his physique. No man had ever been so appealing to her. Giving in to impulse, she placed her hands on his shoulders and slowly slid them down his torso, tracing the shape of his muscles as she went. At the feeling of her hands, he began to stir a little. Her favorite part of his anatomy was already…standing at attention, but that was a normal physiological reaction.

Continuing with impulse, she settled herself between his parted legs and leaned over him. She pressed a tentative kiss in the hollow of his collarbone. She loved the stunningly masculine scent and taste of him. She placed another kiss a little farther down his chest and then another. When she paused to pay special attention to his flat, light brown nipples, Booth's eyes began to flutter. By the time her tongue flicked into his navel, he had opened his eyes and a sleepy grin was stretching across his face.

As she progressed on her downward path, she slipped her fingers into the fly of his boxers and freed him. Her eyes locked with his, she continued her previous pattern, working her way up his shaft, starting at the base and moving to the tip. The closer she got to the end, the wetter and more sensual her kisses grew.

Booth was no longer grinning and his body was taut with arousal. With deliberate slowness, she took him into her mouth. She herself was already incredibly aroused. She had fellated a man before, but it had never had this effect on her. Just as he reached his release, she found her own body shuddering with an unexpected climax.

In the aftermath of their encounter, Booth pulled her back into his arms, panting and weak. The lay there for several long minutes, just savoring the moment. Finally, he turned his head towards hers on the pillow and pushed a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hi."

She smiled at him. "Hi."

He grinned. "That was some wake-up call there, Bones."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you complaining?"

"Never! I'm all for wake-up calls like that. Great way to start the day." His face fell a little and he sighed. "I guess we have to start the day, don't we?"

She nodded her head, feeling the same level of regret she saw in his eyes. "Unfortunately, yes. That is a side effect of having jobs and two young children who require our supervision." She linked her fingers with his that had been trailing through her hair. "But it isn't the end to our sexual encounters. It is only the beginning of many more pleasurable experiences."

Right on cue, they heard Lily's little voice coming through the baby monitor. "Mama! Dada! Up!"

Brennan sighed heavily. "You go take a shower. I'll go get Lily up and dressed and we'll switch."

Before he could try to convince her to stay, she slid out of bed and grabbed the silk robe she kept hanging from one of the posts.

"Hey, Bones?"

She stopped in the doorway and turned back to look at him, sprawled out in her bed like some Greek god of sensuality. "Yes?"

"Love you."

She grinned. "I love you too."

#

Booth emerged from the shower ready to take on the world. After sneaking back to his room to throw on one of his suits, Booth went to Lily's room to take over. He stopped in the doorway, drinking in the sight before him. The woman he adored was gently brushing the flyaway curls of their precious little girl. And just next door, his precocious son was sleeping away, dreaming little boy dreams. Nothing could be the utter happiness that washed through him, knowing that they were his to love and protect.

"Dada!" Lily cheered, finally spotting him lurking in the door.

"Good morning, Princess Lily. Don't you look pretty today," he said, moving to scoop his daughter up and kiss her soundly on the ticklish spot on her neck. "Should we go wake your brother up and fix breakfast while Mommy gets dressed?"

"Bubba! Bekfast!" Lily agreed. And so they day began.

It took a bit of doing, but an hour later, the family was on their way to the Jeffersonian. Once Parker was settled at a little desk in Bones's office doing homework and Lily was safely ensconced in her playpen, Booth went to work.

He'd barely sat down when Sweets entered the lab and came over to him. The young man's face was overly somber and worried. "Hey, Sweets. Why do you look like someone kicked your puppy?"

"Another body has been discovered with a note attached for Dr. Brennan. The body is being sent here now."

Booth immediately went on alert. "When was it found?"

"Early this morning. Dr. Wendell and one of your new agents handled the crime scene. I thought it would be best for you to remain with Dr. Brennan and the kids."

"Damn it, Sweets." He knew the kid was right, but he wanted to be the one in charge. "Do you have the note?"

Sweets reluctantly pulled the folded up copy out of his pocket.

_"The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves." Killing that blonde was sweet, but it is you I want to meet. Thoughts of you torment me. Seeing you happy is the worst torment in the world. I want to see you suffer for me. I can't wait._

Bile rose up in his throat. "Jesus, this guy's a freak," he whispered. "Do we have any leads, Sweets? How long are we going to let him walk free?"

Sweets sighed, his shoulders slumping. "We have agents working on it around the clock. Director Cullen has asked me to help you and Dr. Brennan compile a list of all of the people you've helped convict or made enemies of during your time together. Then we'll look into their families and see if we can find anything that way."

"Whatever it takes, Sweets. I will not allow this freak to hurt my family anymore than he already has."

A/N: Like I said, a bit of a filler. I'm a bit stuck with the serial killer part of the story. I'm not good at developing murder/villain stuff, which is why I'm writing it (to get better). I know who the murderer is, I'm just trying to figure out how soon to bring about the danger. Anyways, let me know what you thought of the chapter/suggestions on the murder plot line.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! Sorry no smut this time. Kind of a filler, but oh well. All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 24: Enemy in the Open

Over the next few nights, Booth and Brennan got into the habit of falling asleep in each other's arms after some intensely satisfying "fooling around" as Booth liked to call it. Parker didn't seem to be bothered by the increase of affection between his parental figures. All that he and Lily were concerned with was that their parents were getting along and keeping them safe.

The nightmares that had plagued Bones sporadically over the years were becoming more and more frequent. Her independent side hated to admit it, but having Booth there when she was jerked awake from the realm of terror was immensely comforting. The worst were the courtroom dreams. Heather Taffett's cold, empty eyes bored into her, undermining every scientific and anthropological tenet she held dear. Those same eyes had buried her alive and sentenced Booth to a watery grave without blinking in hesitation.

Now they plotted to do worse to her children. She saw small skeletons, huddled together in a little container and she knew that they were Parker and Lily. _"No! No! I can't lose them!"_ Then the image of a man's skeleton, Booth's skeleton flashed before her eyes. _"Noo! No! Not Booth! Not my children! Parker! Lily! No!"_

Her own sobs and Booth's hand gently patting her cheek woke her up. Hot, horrible tears coursed down her face. The faint light of the bedside table illuminated the room, chasing away the shadows. Booth wrapped his arms tightly around her, soothing and whispering nonsensical words of comfort into her hair.

The door to their bedroom peeped open a little and a sleep-tousled blonde head peered around it. "Daddy? What's wrong? I heard Dr. Bones call my name and it woke me up."

Booth mustered up a smile for his son, who was rubbing his eyes in sleepy confusion. "Yeah, buddy. Bones just had a nightmare and got a little scared. But she's ok. Go on back to bed."

Parker yawned. "M'kay. Love you, Daddy. Love you, Dr. Bones."

"We love you too, bud. Sweet dreams."

After Parker had padded out, Booth sighed. "What was your nightmare about, Bones?" he asked gently, but insistently.

She sniffled and took a shuddery breath. "Heather Taffett. I saw her, Booth. And- And- And I saw Lily and Parker, dead. Like those twin boys we found. And then I saw you."

A heart-wrenching sob tore through her body. "Hey, hey. It's ok, Bones. We're ok. Taffett is rotting in jail, getting a taste of her own medicine. The kids are snug in their beds and I'm right here. Everything's alright."

Bones fervently shook her head. "Everything is _not_ alright! Someone is out there threatening our family! They want to kill my children, Booth. I know I seem like a cool, detached scientist, but when it comes to those children and you, I am anything but detached. And whoever is out there hunting us knows that. Losing any of you would kill me."

"You're not gonna lose any of us, Bones. I've got the best agents in D.C. helping me keep you and the kids safe." He pressed kisses along her hairline. "Do you trust me?"

Snuggling into him, her runny nose pressed against his bare chest. "Of course I do. You wouldn't be here holding me if I didn't."

"And do you love me?"

"You know I do."

"Then believe me when I say you will never lose us the way you lost your mother. I love you too much to let you suffer like that. Ever."

#

Brennan was methodically going through paperwork, the children quietly playing in one corner of her office when Booth came hurrying in. She and Parker looked up at him in alarm. Lily had ceased to be phased by any odd behavior exhibited by her parents a while ago.

"Booth? Is something wrong?" She frowned up at him, perplexed by his entrance.

"I think I've got a lead on our killer, Bones," he announced, looking almost gleeful.

Brennan's eyebrows shot up. "How? There is very little forensic evidence. Certainly not enough to allow for a conclusion to be drawn about a perpetrator."

Booth rolled his dark eyes. "Ok, we're going with my gut here, Bones. Your dream last night got me thinking. What if this case _is _linked to Taffett?"

"But she's in jail. Even she is not capable of committing crimes while incarcerated."

Booth shook his head impatiently. "She's not the killer. Someone with close ties to her is. Whoever it is wants revenge against you. What better reason for revenge than love?"

"Have you investigated this…hypothesis?"

Booth grinned, quite proud of himself. "Indeed I have. And now, instead of millions of possibilities we have two." He placed two FBI fact sheets in front of her. "The most likely would be Taffett's younger sister Lavender. Very close to each other. Still visits Taffett almost every week. And instability like Taffett's can be genetic. Another strong contender is Andrew Mitchell. He and Taffett were lovers. They exchange letters and phone calls, but there has been no face-to-face contact since before her arrest."

Bones studied the papers in front of her. "I have learned to trust your instinct on things like this. I assume you have already begun to investigate their alibis?"

Booth nodded, but his smile faded a little. "Yeah, I've got agents looking into them and others working to locate them. My guess, whichever one goes to ground is the one we need to worry about."

"I hope they don't go to ground for too long. I would prefer our life to return to a normal level of stress."

Parker and Lily came over to their dad, who settled them both on his knees. "Daddy, have you found the bad guy yet?"

"Not yet, buddy. But soon."

"Good," Parker said, snuggling into his dad.

"Dood!" Lily echoed.

A/N: Review Please :)!


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! Sorry it's taken so long to get another chapter up. I had a break through on the new novel I'm planning, so I spent all weekend focused on that. But, I finally got things rolling here. All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 25: Mommy Not in the Lab

"Angela? Have you seen Bones?"

Booth had taken the kids out to lunch. When he left, Bones refused to leave whichever body she was studying. She'd been working constantly, trying to find something that would give them a clue about where to find the psycho. He knew that if it weren't for Lily and Parker, she wouldn't leave the lab until she cracked the case.

Angela looked up from her electronic sketchpad and frowned. "No, not since before I went to lunch."

After leaving the kids with Angela, Booth preceded to check with each and every squint in the lab. The last any of them recalled seeing Bones was just after he and the kids left. Panic simmered at the back of his mind. The old Bones might have gone out on her own, but not the new Bones. She knew not to leave the lab without him or another agent.

Just then, he realized that one of the agents on duty was not the same agent who was there when he left.

"Where's Agent James?" Booth demanded of the suit-clad guards lounging by the lab door.

They immediately jerked to attention. "Um…" They exchanged uneasy looks. "He left with Dr. Brennan about an hour ago. She said she had to run an errand or something like that."

Growling in frustration, he dug out his phone and called her cell phone. It immediately went to voice mail. He knew it was illogical to panic, but he was starting to get to that point. He called Agent James's cell phone. Again, straight to voice mail. "Shit." He ran his hands through his hair. "Ok, both of you, get on the horn with the command center and have them activate the GPS chips in Dr. Brennan's cell phone and Agent James's phone. It might be nothing, but my gut tells me something's not right."

Instinctively, Booth went back to check on his kids. They were sitting together quietly in one corner of Angela's office, Parker reading one of Lily's favorite books to her. His chest ached, not knowing where their mother was. He wanted to find the tallest tower possible and lock them up, safe from any psycho that might try to hurt them. And he wanted to put Bones up there with them. But he had to find her first and that was the problem.

#

Bones slowly regained consciousness. Her head felt like someone was banging on every square inch of it. She tried to open her eyes, but it felt like her eyelids were made of sandpaper. Gradually, she became more aware of her surroundings. The floor underneath her was unyielding concrete. Her hands were cuffed behind her back. She felt something that might have served as a blanket on the ground by her hands. Dim light permeated the room. She could hear movement somewhere near her, but her vision still blurred, probably the effects of some sort of drug.

"Well, well, well, Dr. Brennan. Nice of you to join us," a female voice drawled from somewhere off to her right.

"It was not voluntary, so such pleasantries really aren't appropriate," she managed to scratch out, her throat almost as dry as her eyes.

A nasty laugh echoed through the room. "Heather said you were a cold fish. I wonder how cold you'll be when I get my hands on those brats of yours? Will you be able to be the icy scientist when I let Andrew beat precious Parker into a bloody pulp before breaking his little neck? Will you crack when I cut up sweet little Lily's darling face until you can't recognize it?"

Fear sent a wave of nausea roiling up in her, but Bones fought it back. "You won't get the chance," she said as defiantly as possible.

"Who's gonna stop her, bitch?" a male voice asked, coming from the same direction as the female. "Your heroic little FBI agent? I'll kill him just like I did that other government bastard who was with you."

"What- what are you going to do with me?" Horrible scenarios of torture flashed through her mind, all of which paled in comparison to the thought of losing Booth and watching her children suffer.

The evil laughter continued. "Why, nothing for the moment. We want you to suffer, just like Heather is suffering now, trapped in the cage you put her in." Lavender Taffet sounded just as coldly maniacal as her sister. It was clear that Andrew Mitchell was simply the minion here.

"Her suffering is nothing compared to what she put her victims through," Bones snarled.

"We'll see what you say after we're through with you, Dr. Brennan."

A/N: Reviews?


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 26 Savior in the Daddy

"Agent Booth."

The voice of one of the younger agents broke Booth out of his stupor. He had been pacing Bones's office for the better part of the past two days, either barking orders into his phone or praying for word that she was alive. Not wanting to let his kids out of his sight, he and Angela set up cots for them in the office. He hadn't told them exactly what happened; all they knew was Mommy was missing. Parker, however, sensed that something more was going on; he had been unusually subdued and somber.

"What is it, Stevens?" His voice sounded rough and weary even to his own ears.

"We've got a lead, sir. Sources report that there's a man and a woman who were seen carrying an unconscious woman into a warehouse in outer Baltimore. The SUV they were driving is identical to one that has been scoping out the Jeffersonian over the course of the past two weeks. We're using traffic cameras and CC TV to track its movements. Once we've pinpointed its location, we're hopeful we'll find Dr. Brennan."

Booth couldn't allow himself to hope. He wanted to, but so many different scenarios played out in his head. Bones could be dead, tortured, or dying. He could have handled any form of torture inflicted on himself, but the thought of Bones being subjected to something so horrific made him physically ill. She might seem tough and strong, but he knew how delicate her bones felt and how soft her skin was. She wasn't made to withstand torture.

He resumed his pacing. After a little while, Parker came up to him. "Daddy?"

He stopped and knelt down so he was at eye-level with his son. "What is it, bud?"

Parker shuffled his feet, his little mouth pulled into a frown and his eyes unbelievably sad. "Is Dr. Bones gonna be ok? Are you gonna get her back?"

Booth forced himself to smile. "I sure hope so, buddy. I've got all of the best agents in D.C. looking for her."

"I hope so, too. I don't want to lose another mommy. I love Dr. Bones. And Lily needs her mommy. She's sad without her."

Tears stung Booth's eyes as he pulled his son into a crushing hug. "I'm sad without her too, Parker. And I promise to do everything I can to bring her back."

"Agent Booth?" Stevens stood in the doorway, a bit sheepish at interrupting the father-son moment. "We've found her."

#

Brennan lost all track of time. She didn't know how long she'd been trapped in the dark, merciless room; it could have been days, weeks, or months. All she knew was fear. She lived in dread every minute that Mitchell would return with her children in tow. Every once in a while, Lavender would force her to drink some water and eat a few crackers, but other than that, nothing broke up the monotony of terror. She prayed that Booth would find her soon. She didn't know how long she could stay strong.

#

"Alright, Tac-Team 3, you'll go around back. Team 2, you'll take the front," Director Cullen ordered. They had set up a base just around the corner from the warehouse where they believed Dr. Brennan was being held. Booth hovered by his elbow. "Booth, you'll wait here with me."

Booth's eyes darkened with rage. "The hell I will. No offense, sir, but I'm not sitting around while someone else rescues Bones. It's just not gonna happen. These nutcases have had her for almost three days now. She's probably scared out of her mind. She needs me. Besides, I'm the best shot you've got."

Cullen studied him for several long minutes before nodding. "Alright, Booth. You'll lead Team 2. Let's move people."

#

Brennan came alert as the interminable silence of her cell was broken. _Someone's coming. Many someones by the sound of it_. She glanced over at where Lavender was pacing, muttering manically under her breath. Taffett gave no indication that she heard the disruption of the utter silence that they had existed in for so long. Mitchell was asleep on the small cot they kept in the lighted section of the room.

Brennan hoped against hope that the noise wasn't a figment of her imagination. She prayed it was Booth, coming to rescue her.

Her prayers were answered.

#

The second the room was secured Booth used his flashlight to scan the room for her. _Bones._

"Bones!" She was tied up in a corner of the room, lying on her side next to a raggedy blanket. Tossing his gun behind his back, he hurried over to her.

As soon as he had freed her arms, Bones tossed them around him in a vice-like hug. "Oh, God, Booth. You're here. You're really here. You're not a dream."

"I'm here, baby. I'm here." He pressed fervent kisses all over her face. "I love you, Bones. I love you so much. Don't you ever scare me like this again."

Brennan let out a laugh wet with tears. "It was not intentional, believe me." She returned his kisses. "I love you, too, Booth. I love you too."

A/N: I know it's short, but I needed to wrap up this story arc so I could get back to what I write best: fluffy lovey, dovey stuff. What'd you think?


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a review! All characters you recognize belong to Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs, all others belong to me :)

Chapter 27: Peace in the House

Five hours after sending Bones and the kids home with an FBI agent, Booth dragged himself into the house. Everything was dark except for the moonlight coming through the windows. Slowly, he made his way up the stairs to Bones's bedroom. He briefly thought he might check on the kids, but something told him that Bones wasn't likely to be separated from them and they weren't about to move too far from her side.

Sure enough, there they were. His little family, all nestled together in the big bed, Parker on Bones's left and Lily on the right. The fluffy down comforter was tucked around them, an added protection from any outside force disturbing them. After quietly slipping off the suit he had been wearing since Bones disappeared and pulling on a pair of gym shorts, Booth crawled into bed with his family. Lily, who was sandwiched between him and Bones, wriggled over in her sleep to cuddle against his bare chest. Smiling, Booth draped his arm across Lily and Bones, his hand resting on Bones's stomach.

Before falling asleep, he sent up a silent prayer of thanks that they were all safe and in one place.

#

The next morning Booth was jarred out of sleep by a small projectile landing on his chest. Prying his eyes open, he looked up to see Lily sitting on his chest. "Up, Dada. Up," she commanded. "Me and brover hungy!"

"Yeah, Dad. We're hungry," Parker chimed in from the foot of the bed. Groaning, Booth glanced at the clock on the cable box. 9:32. No wonder the kids were hungry. He glanced over at Bones; she slept on, undisturbed by their very awake children.

"Ok, guys, I get it. Give me a minute to get up. You go on downstairs and figure out what you want to eat." Parker helped Lily off the bed and Booth lay there listening to their little feet scamper down the stairs.

Knowing he only had a few minutes before they started to mutiny, Booth turned on his side and propped his head on his arm, studying the woman beside him. It still sent a shiver down to think of how close he had come to losing her. Reaching out, he pushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. It was then that he saw her eyelids flicker a bit.

Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, Booth leaned closer to her. Bones's eyes remained closed. Smirking a little, Booth began to trail kisses along the edge of the cotton camisole she had put on to sleep in. Still, she didn't open her eyes. Booth pressed a kiss into her cleavage, his tongue flicking out to taste her skin. A little moan escaped her throat, but she still kept up the act. His eyes gleaming with wicked naughtiness, Booth used his kisses to push down the camisole. While his lips were occupied, his hand crept down her body, into her pajama shorts, under the waistband of her panties.

The second his fingers began to play with her, Bones's eyes flew open and she gasped. He chuckled. "Good morning, beautiful. How are you feeling today?"

"Mmm," she moaned. "If you keep that up, I'll be feeling fabulous."

"Happy to oblige," Booth said, his voice husky with desire. In a few short minutes, his devilishly clever fingers sent waves of sleepy warm pleasure coursing over her.

She brought his face up to hers for a warm kiss. "Thank you."

"I've never been one to leave a lady unsatisfied," Booth quipped.

"Not just for that. Thank you for saving me," Bones murmured. "I knew you would find a way and you did."

Booth's eyes were serious and loving. "I'll always save you, Bones. Always. You're the woman I adore and the mother of my daughter. If you need rescuing, I'm your white knight."

"I love you too," she whispered, leaning in for another kiss.

Sighing, Booth pulled away. "We've got two hungry kids downstairs that I need to go and feed before they start to rebel."

Bones nodded. "I'll come help you. I find myself experiencing a great deal of hunger as well."

#

Brennan felt at peace. Looking around the table, she smiled. Booth was helping Lily cut up her little sausages and small pancakes into bite-sized pieces. Parker shoveled mouthfuls of his Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes into his mouth, oblivious to the syrup ringing his mouth. She smiled at him and reached over with her napkin to help him.

The little boy beamed at her. "I'm glad you're home, Dr. Bones."

"I'm glad to _be_ home, Parker." Bones took a bite of her own pancakes. "It will be good to get back to life as usual." Booth frowned at that, but didn't say anything.

After breakfast, he cornered her in the kitchen as they did dishes. "So…I guess now that the danger is gone, Parker and I should probably move back to my place."

Brennan frowned at him. She hadn't considered that. "If…if that's what you would prefer." There was a few minutes of awkward silence. "Although, if you would like, you could always just stay here."

Booth's eyes lit up with a spark of hope. "Yeah?"

"Of course. Now that you have custody of Parker, it would be practical for us to work as a team in parenting the kids, which would be much easier if we lived in the same house. Besides, we have an intimate relationship now. I don't know about you, but I hope to continue that relationship. And I think that it would prove much simpler for us to continue our relationship if you live here."

Booth raised his eyebrows, a grin slowly spreading across his handsome face. "I…can't argue with ya, there Bones. Why don't we just take things a day at a time? If you decide that you want your own space back, Parker and I will move back to my place."

"I will not change my mind," she said confidently.

"Well, then, I guess Parker and I have some packing to do."

A/N: Filler, but still. What'd you think? Updates may slow down to once a week because I'm hitting my stride on this novel. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed!


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